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Old 20th November 2021, 06:43   #781
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Finally the big update is here. Awesome work.

Your work may feel like OCD but to enthusiasts, it's a gold mine. The amount of labour spent on this cannot be matched by any professional center. Simply outstanding.
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Old 20th November 2021, 10:11   #782
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

The quality and variety of insulation materials will put expensive and luxury cars at shame. In my view, upgrades like this are better than cosmetic upgrades which most of the folks invest in and directly enhances the driving feel and decrease the fatigue levels in long journeys.

I know you are a sucker for original and genuine accessories, but this level of damping demands a nice set of components, amp and a woofer in a sealed enclosure. Just to give Harmans and Boses a reason to hide.

Last edited by Blow Horn Ok : 20th November 2021 at 10:12.
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Old 20th November 2021, 10:44   #783
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Great NVH deadening work Shashi ji. I have used these Vibrofiltr mats for deadening front doors, boot of my Alto. It gave stupendous results with front component speakers. I have two more sheets lying extra which will be used for thorough deadening of floor under rear seat. After your results I'm tempted to get more sheets and complete roof and rear doors as well. I can imagine DIY in a small car like Alto. But with XL6 it requires a lot of time, money and patience. Congratulations on your hard work and enjoy the silence.
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Old 20th November 2021, 15:54   #784
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

There are articles that the facelift of XL6 has been spied and should be put in the next couple of months.

I have booked it and my car is in transit and I am confused if I should wait it out or take the delivery.

Not sure if the news is real or fake.

Here is the link to the article I read:

https://www.rushlane.com/new-maruti-...-12418084.html
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Old 20th November 2021, 19:21   #785
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by BoneCollector View Post
Your work may feel like OCD but to enthusiasts, it's a gold mine. The amount of labour spent on this cannot be matched by any professional center. Simply outstanding.
Thanks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok View Post
The quality and variety of insulation materials will put expensive and luxury cars at shame. In my view, upgrades like this are better than cosmetic upgrades which most of the folks invest in and directly enhances the driving feel and decrease the fatigue levels in long journeys.

I know you are a sucker for original and genuine accessories, but this level of damping demands a nice set of components, amp and a woofer in a sealed enclosure. Just to give Harmans and Boses a reason to hide.
I'm a complete noob when it comes to car audio, hence studying the market a bit. Once I narrow down to a setup, will procure it and install it myself/with Arjun. Don't trust anyone else.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KPR View Post
Great NVH deadening work Shashi ji. I have used these Vibrofiltr mats for deadening front doors, boot of my Alto. It gave stupendous results with front component speakers. I have two more sheets lying extra which will be used for thorough deadening of floor under rear seat. After your results I'm tempted to get more sheets and complete roof and rear doors as well. I can imagine DIY in a small car like Alto. But with XL6 it requires a lot of time, money and patience. Congratulations on your hard work and enjoy the silence.
Try to cover straight long panels first, they are most prone to vibrations and resonance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AviC View Post
There are articles that the facelift of XL6 has been spied and should be put in the next couple of months.

I have booked it and my car is in transit and I am confused if I should wait it out or take the delivery.
Well the news is true. Changes expected are 16 inch alloys from XL7, updated suspension to accommodate 16 inchers, new grill, rear spoiler integrated from factory and some changes to plastic cladding design.

But I'm not sure if it will come within next couple of months. Since there will be mechanical changes in suspension, they'll need some testing, homologation and validation.

Regards,
Shashi
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Old 20th November 2021, 19:35   #786
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leoshashi View Post



Well the news is true. Changes expected are 16 inch alloys from XL7, updated suspension to accommodate 16 inchers, new grill, rear spoiler integrated from factory and some changes to plastic cladding design.

But I'm not sure if it will come within next couple of months. Since there will be mechanical changes in suspension, they'll need some testing, homologation and validation.

Regards,
Shashi
Thanks Shashi. Do you think it could get launched by Feb or March? Or will it take more than that?
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Old 20th November 2021, 22:07   #787
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

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Originally Posted by AviC View Post
Thanks Shashi. Do you think it could get launched by Feb or March? Or will it take more than that?
No idea about that. Weirdly we haven't spotted a single Ertiga or Ciaz mule till now which are long overdue for an update. XL6 was a much more recent product.

But it surely won't come in the next couple of months.
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Old 21st November 2021, 10:16   #788
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

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Originally Posted by Leoshashi View Post
...
Saw XL6 and knew it was going to be you even before I opened the thread.
Great job, though I found the NVH on a friend's XL6 to be quite decent.
I am jealous your XL6 strip-teases you so much, even after all these months.


Holycow! whoever the promoter is, has quite the edginess.
I mean, at least try to be subtle.
My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-billmafia.jpg
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Old 21st November 2021, 11:44   #789
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leoshashi View Post
[u][b]Finally, the much awaited post on Sound Insulation of my XL6.
Congrats. Must have taken immense amount of patience and passion to do.

On a lighter note, you & your XL6 would be in the Thar owners category, where you buy the vehicle for X and spend another X modifying/upgrading it !!
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Old 21st November 2021, 12:21   #790
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leoshashi View Post

Feel free to ask any questions.
This is my dream to-do for my Ciaz, which otherwise is a nice car but has below average NVH. Alas, lack of my own knowledge & availability of a good mechanic have been the stumbling blocks so far.
Could you please share a breakdown of the number of different types of damping sheets used & their cost?
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Old 21st November 2021, 16:23   #791
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Leo, great work as always! Simply mind-blowing with the step by step procedure and is it stunningly detailed!

Although 30k looks like quite a price, it's totally worth it considering that it puts higher segment cars to shame wet NVH levels! Can't wait to experience this in your car. I'm now super tempted to get my sheets, drive up to JH and get it done from Arjun! :

And thanks for sharing such wonderful updates!
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Old 21st November 2021, 17:40   #792
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Dear Shashi, that is some amazing work.

I seek your advice for a friend's 2019 Ertiga ZDI+, we're considering upgrading the head lamps to white colored HID or LED. Which one would you suggest and what brand?

Also, should we upgrade the fog lamps to the LED ones on the XL6 or Brezza? Or something else?
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Old 21st November 2021, 18:15   #793
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Wondering why you didn't opt for Skoda or Volkswagen in the first place. You yourself seem to be quite competent with car engineeing and procuring parts which would have taken care of any mechanical issues expected with these germans. Atleast you would have saved lot of work tearing apart the car just to arrest some dings and noises expected from Marutis.
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Old 21st November 2021, 18:28   #794
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Electromotive View Post
I am jealous your XL6 strip-teases you so much, even after all these months.
Holycow! whoever the promoter is, has quite the edginess.
I mean, at least try to be subtle.


Quote:
Originally Posted by aashishnb View Post
On a lighter note, you & your XL6 would be in the Thar owners category, where you buy the vehicle for X and spend another X modifying/upgrading it !!
Lol! Well these are fixes for the complains I had with the XL6, making it more suitable for my purpose. Loved your Thar analogy though!

Quote:
Originally Posted by superbad View Post
This is my dream to-do for my Ciaz, which otherwise is a nice car but has below average NVH. Alas, lack of my own knowledge & availability of a good mechanic have been the stumbling blocks so far.
Could you please share a breakdown of the number of different types of damping sheets used & their cost?
Indeed, I'm lucky to have a trustworthy and highly skilled mechanic like Arjun.

Regarding price, I'll put them after my Stage 2 post(floor and quarter panel) which should be up in a day or two. Stay tuned.

Quote:
Originally Posted by advenk999 View Post
Leo, great work as always! Simply mind-blowing with the step by step procedure and is it stunningly detailed!

Although 30k looks like quite a price, it's totally worth it considering that it puts higher segment cars to shame wet NVH levels! Can't wait to experience this in your car. I'm now super tempted to get my sheets, drive up to JH and get it done from Arjun! :

And thanks for sharing such wonderful updates!
Total cost(including floors) has actually breached 40k I think. Honestly I never keep a track of how much I spend on cars, else I'll get depressed! But yes the investment is well worth it. The cabin feels something else when compared to a normal Ertiga/XL6. Our Crysta MT feels like a truck now compared to XL6, despite its price tag, NVH isn't great.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maverick Avi View Post
Wondering why you didn't opt for Skoda or Volkswagen in the first place. You yourself seem to be quite competent with car engineeing and procuring parts which would have taken care of any mechanical issues expected with these germans. Atleast you would have saved lot of work tearing apart the car just to arrest some dings and noises expected from Marutis.
Lol, I was expecting such a comment. TBH, Skoda back then didn't have a worthy car within my budget. Secondly, I'm from a Tier 2/3 city where service of brands like Skoda and VW isn't great. Dealers keep changing and the ones on board have a monopoly in terms of service. There is no competent FNG scene here, hence Maruti, Hyundai or Toyota are the only safe bets we have.

Regards,
Shashi
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Old 22nd November 2021, 22:09   #795
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Re: My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leoshashi View Post
Finally, the much awaited post on Sound Insulation of my XL6. This post got delayed due to multiple reasons. Firstly my Phone got damaged and barely managed to recover the pics. Secondly, it was done in two stages.

I have been following Shashi’s post since the time he mentioned he is working on exclusive damping project, it will be one of a kind. True to his words it is one of a kind. I can’t imagine the world of difference this mod has made to his car.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leoshashi View Post
Miscellaneous points regarding Stage 1:


-The doors close with a nice thud now.

-External noise with windows closed is completely gone, love how everything outside feels muted now. Horns are audible, and that's it! Even cars costing thrice as much feel lacking in this department now. Have turned XL6's weakness into it's strong point. A new Ertiga/XL6 or even my Crysta feels so basic now in terms of NVH.

-Also took this opportunity to get rid of stock speakers at a good value, and chose JBL Coaxials from MGA. I plan to get a proper audio setup done later when I visit Delhi or Bangalore, hence didn't spend too much on something unknown. The JBLs are nothing great, but much better than the stock speakers.

Regards,
Shashi

I have executed a miniature version of this damping effort which covers only most essential or if you would like to call it as critically required to make a difference.

Why I wanted damping?

I wanted to upgrade the stock speakers to improve the sound quality, Not that I was unhappy with the current setup but it definitely lacked clarity and punch.

What were the consideration?

-Tight budget below 25k All Inclusive including of Speakers!
-Complete DIY (Regretted and Happy)
-Everything needs to be done in stock condition.
(No alteration to wiring harness our mount point at all)

Disclaimer and Warning!

I carried out this DIY completely alone. Though I carried this out under complete supervision of Shashi, still it was exhaustive, stressful and frustrating (more on it later) So if you do not have the time and patience and expertise do not try to do this. It took me 5 days to complete this!

Starting with the list of items I kept ready before embarking on this DIY.
Now let me tell you sound is very subjective and personal, and choosing a right set of speakers was the most challenging task for me. Specially no access to sampling and Youtube videos don’t do justice.

So I just had to go by review by fellow Bhpian @Chiranjitp and thanks to him it surpassed my expectation and I was supper happy. I love balanced sound with tight bass and balanced high’s (Bass is important only when I'm listening to foot tapping music) otherwise I listen to all kind of music. The pair of Avatar speakers just delivered that really well.

So here is the list -
Pair of Avatar Components
Pair of Avatar Co-axials
2 Pairs of Rain Guards, and Speaker spacers.
STP 1.5 mm 15 pc pack Sound Dampeners
Vibrofiltr 5 sheets (Should have ordered 6)
MGA Hinge wax
Roller to roll the damping sheets.
IP Bottles
Extra plastic clips / fasteners
Sharp Knife (Amazon Basics)
Lots and lots of patience.

Now I did this DIY with a bit of personalisation as per my requirement, and this is not the most ideal way to do. My OCD always gets in way. For example usually Damping sheets are applied on the outer metal sheet completely, but I choose to customise and not apply areas were there are nuts and bolts which may require access during component failure (usually don’t). I also believe in ‘law-of-diminishing-return’ which mean you don’t need to cover the entire sheet metal to get the desired result, as less as 20% does the job but I did almost 70%.

I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking as there is nothing much to talk about the steps I took as it was "follow the instruction from the master".

The result surpassed all my expectation, the car is quieter, less external noise, no ratels even with heavy bass. Everything seems tight.

What went wrong?

Well nothing but I could not anticipate that this is going to be so labour intensive!! At one point I was like "Why the hell did I went the DIY route" but I am cent percent sure no one would pay the effort I did. Specially installing the speakers on factory mount, most shops end up drilling holes using screws. Also the I did not splice any wire used the factory socket with clips to connect the aftermarket speakers. Used 3M double sided tapes to install the Crossover.

The only time I got frustrated, when I failed to identify the speaker wire polarity, it was that moment that left me so frustrated and unhappy that I was on the verge of reverting everything back to stock. It was then Shashi helped me with the correct wiring and after fitting everything back, the sound just bought a big smile. I forgot all the body pains and frustrations.

My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210912_093902.jpg

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My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210912_170502.jpg

My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210912_181346.jpg

My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210912_183022.jpg

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My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210913_095118.jpg

My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210913_143957.jpg

My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210914_152920.jpg

My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210915_224828.jpg

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My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210912_205935.jpg

My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review-img_20210916_095721.jpg

This would not be possible without help of Shashi, and I cannot thank him enough for his selfless willingness to help always. You owe one for this Bro!

Last edited by MadTiger : 22nd November 2021 at 22:21. Reason: rearrange photos
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