[procrj]

Originally Posted by vigsom

the Kia or MG way because of the glitter on offer.

Glitter is very hard to ignore, which is why they continue sell in good volumes.

I bow my head down to thee for these very sensible additions.

Plan was to invest in value upfront and a lot of research had already been done by Shashi

My only request on the speakers - don't trust Infinity anymore as they seem to have gone south w.r.t quality. Please look at other brands and use components in the front and, if possible in the rear too.

Thanks for sharing this, will check out other options and take a call.

Good luck with Brique. We now have a Brique and a Granite as reference points for an XL6 !

Granite is spot on - @Leoshashi from GG to simple G

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

The amount of research you did was mind boggling and I was glad to be a part of the decision making process all along.

Your inputs ensured that I have the right expectations from the car. Thanks a lot man!

This shade of Red looks the best IMO on the XL6, giving it a very premium vibe.

Amen to that. The car does stand out in the sea of white and silver.

I'm sure this thread will become the goldmine of information

I doubt that as most posts will have a link to your thread

Originally Posted by ashis89

Congratulations Ravi! Must say, the color is unique and suits the car a lot. May you continue to build many more adventures with the Brique!

Thanks ashis.

If only Maruti improved the interior plastics and sheet metal for a better NVH experience. These are two things which is impossible to upgrade/fix later on. Even if this results in some price hike, the car would still be value for money.

+100 to that, it would make the car so much better that what it is right now.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Great review, procrj. From one red 7 seater to another. Wishing you years of happy kilometers.

thanks a lot landcruiser.

Curious - do you actually use snow chains in India? I'm guessing these are only for the Himalayan roads in winter?

Thats a carry over from the TUV. Its less a snow chain and more of a traction device that can be hooked onto the tyre when you get stuck in mud/slush. Something like this.

Originally Posted by locusjag

The Brique looks good! The touring force is strong with you once again.

Thanks locusjag.

I would myself be tempted in the future by an Automatic XL6, truth be told

Based on our disucssions in the past, I doubt you will settle for anything less than a 2L engine with a 6 speed transmission.

Have you considered sound-proofing from 3M? You know where they add dampening material to your doors, to your flooring etc.

Did consider it but going the DIY way this time.

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Congratulations Ravi.
Wishing you many happy miles.
Your Red Dwarf was recently purchased when we had met last, we should have a meet once the current situation improves.

Thanks Suhas. I was thinking about devarmane and remembered you and your XUV. Thinking of driving into the hills with Dr.AD sometime soon and your Red XUV will be another welcome addition to the convoy.

[sramanat]

Congratulations on the wonderful buy. This car was in the running in our household and scored really well in many of the parameters we had. However my wife vetoed it "I can't see myself driving a van". I guess the mental block of driving a longish car in Bangalore traffic was too much for her to go over, despite she being comfortable in longer cars like Ciaz or City. In other words the car was at the top objectively, but lost out on subjective parameters. On the point of every spec of dust being visible, I think Maruti is better off providing an optional beige interiors from the Ertiga - may be the manual variants can retain the "sporty" black interiors and the auto variants can have the beige interiors.

[PrideRed]

Congratulations. XL6 and Swift are my favorites from current Maruti stable and I call Ertiga/XL6 the silent assassin- by the way they have killed competition/cars from other categories.
Maruti trust-Check, Good engine-Check, FE- Check, Upto date feature list-Check, VFM-Check. This is one car that surprised me with FE figures, 7 seater and 1.5L Petrol doesnot sound like a combo for FE but then only Maruti could pull this off.

W.r.to speakers, check you your HU, some after market speakers might offer just minor improvement without an amp.

[ramnaresh_2000]

Congratulations on your brique, it looks damn cool. I am being honest here, when you announced that you were going with a NA petrol from a diesel, I was a bit confused and concerned that you might miss the diesel. Looks like I was wrong.

I was also suggesting XL6 to my friend over Ertiga who is looking for a new first car.

I would suggest a dash cam and blaupunkt air purifier to your list of planned accessories. Enjoy your new toy and I wish you happy miles ahead.

Off topic: Sad to see so many TUV owners shifting away to new vehicles due to incompetent MASS. Mahindra's strategy to rename to Bolero Neo irked me.

[Sridhar C E]

Excellent post, @procrj! As a Ciaz owner who is lusting for an XL6 automatic, I read your post with interest. Whats your take on the automatic version? Also, pls elaborate on your choice of the iridium spark plugs?

Thanks and happy motoring!

[sathyasuri]

Hi Procrj,

Congrats on your new vehicle. XL6 is a good choice especially when it comes to reliability as it is based on the now proven Ertiga. Unfortunately, TUV thread has lost another good guide (after Captain Rex's exit) when it comes to issues and notes comparison.
Do share your feedback on XL6's highway performance (especially in the 100+ KMPH speeds) because as you know we TUV owners have a longing for that . How comfortable is it to cruise at 100-110 kmph speeds with 5 people on board? I have driven a Diesel Ertiga and found that the engine excels in the 100 - 140 kmph speeds, so how does the petrol motor compare at those speeds?

[vinayak648o]

Originally Posted by procrj

7. Accessories and Modifications
=====
Got these installed during first service on 12th July and will post feedback after I have had a chance to test them out on the open road.
.

Sir,
Congrats on the purchase and wish you many happy kms ahead !!
Could you provide the part number or link of the spark plugs as I am planning to replace mine in my 2018 1.5 petrol Ciaz

[harryputtar]

Congrats on your new car, its an experience one can never forget .

Can you quickly touch upon the safety features of the car? Where was it tested, which variant, and how did it do on the safety parameters?

Pardon my prejudice, but I do associate brand Maruti with unsafe cars, maybe this has the potential to change my perception.

[advenk999]

Originally Posted by Sridhar C E

Excellent post, @procrj! As a Ciaz owner who is lusting for an XL6 automatic, I read your post with interest. Whats your take on the automatic version? Also, pls elaborate on your choice of the iridium spark plugs?

Go for it man! Eyes closed. As the owner of an SCross automatic, the 4AT gearbox is super smooth and well refined.
The ratios are very well spaced between rpms and extremely smooth on transmission shifts. You barely feel the shifts infact.

The gearbox does feel a sense of urgency upon a hard tap on the throttle and does a good downshift to D3 from D4 to help you overtake. You can also switch O/D off and the gearbox restrictions the gear to D3.

Alternatively, you can also shift from D to 2 which brings D4 down to D2 and shoots the revs up. The car darts forward to make that quick overtake and gets the job done.

Though this is an ancient gearbox, it is easy for anyone to write it off because of its 4 ratios. However, take a drive to experience that smoothness and refinement of the gearbox. Do note that smooth throttling is far more rewarding than agressive throttles.

All in all, I vouch for this as an extremely rewarding package and the reliability of this proven gearbox.

[swami69]

Congratulations on the "brique". Super color choice and nice little additions/modifications. When you did the Tire swap, I would have swapped the Alloys as well for a little bit more as it will lift up the looks of this car in my opinion

In fact, last December when I was exploring 7 seaters, I almost zeroed down on XL6 as it is one of the best VFM products out there and it drives great as well. Eventually, I picked up a used Innova Crysta ZMT skipping this.

Enjoy good miles on this very comfortable car.

Swami

[procrj]

Originally Posted by sramanat

Congratulations on the wonderful buy.
I think Maruti is better off providing an optional beige interiors from the Ertiga - may be the manual variants can retain the "sporty" black interiors and the auto variants can have the beige interiors.

Thanks sramnat. I think black interiors are a big differentiatior for XL6, which they will not change. Maybe provide an option to the customer to opt for beige or try a mix and match to make it better.

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Congratulations. XL6 and Swift are my favorites from current Maruti stable and I call Ertiga/XL6 the silent assassin.
W.r.to speakers, check you your HU, some after market speakers might offer just minor improvement without an amp.

Thanks PrideRed. The HU is a Harman HU IIRC but the stock speakers are extermely basic based on the pics I have seen. Many owners have updgraded without installing amps and have seen improvement in quality, hence the decision to upgrade. I am not an audiophile but do like my music to be neutral and clean.

Originally Posted by ramnaresh_2000

Congratulations on your brique, it looks damn cool.

Thanks ramnaresh.

I am being honest here, when you announced that you were going with a NA petrol from a diesel, I was a bit confused and concerned that you might miss the diesel.

I don't miss the diesel only because of the way the 2nd gear has been tuned + additional torque flowing in from the smart hybrid system. I do miss the diesel + turbo torque while going uphill but then its fun to rev the NA petrol in the ghats

I would suggest a dash cam and blaupunkt air purifier to your list of planned accessories

I have been using a dashcam from day 2, which is the blueskysea B1W I was using in the TUV. Purifier - I havent really considered, will check.

Off topic: Sad to see so many TUV owners shifting away to new vehicles due to incompetent MASS. Mahindra's strategy to rename to Bolero Neo irked me.

TUV was conceptualized as a replacement for the Bolero but then Mahindra decided to create a new brand for this car as they didnt want to lose out on Bolero brand recall. Since the TUV didnt have a lot of traction, they have decided to roll it up under the Bolero brand now. IMO, Mahindra doesnt really know what to do with the TUV and they are keeping it in the mix because there is a small audience for the product + the volumes they are able to generate from Govt. as its being used by many Police depts.

Originally Posted by Sridhar C E

Excellent post, @procrj! As a Ciaz owner who is lusting for an XL6 automatic, I read your post with interest. Whats your take on the automatic version?

I haven't driven the automatic hence I am not the right person to comment on its performance. BHPian SharathScorp owns an AT XL6 and he might be able to comment on its performance.
Edit: Looks like advenk999 has answered your question.

Also, pls elaborate on your choice of the iridium spark plugs?

Iridium plugs last longer, enable better combustion and hence better power delivery. Some OEMs also claim increased acceleration but I dont belive that. I decided to invest in them because feedback from users pointed to smoother running of the engine, better throttle response and fuel efficiency.

Thanks and happy motoring!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by sathyasuri

Congrats on your new vehicle. XL6 is a good choice especially when it comes to reliability as it is based on the now proven Ertiga.

Thanks sathyasuri.

Unfortunately, TUV thread has lost another good guide (after Captain Rex's exit) when it comes to issues and notes comparison.

Will continue to contribute to thread if I am aware of the problem and its fix.

How comfortable is it to cruise at 100-110 kmph speeds with 5 people on board?

100-110 kmph is a very comfortable for the petrol motor with 5 adults on board. Unlike a turbo-diesel, you will need to downshift to 4th gear if your speed drops to the 60 kmph mark and you want to reach cruising speeds of 100 kmph. Captain seats in the second row are really comfortable and on the whole, highway behaviour of the vehicle is very sorted. Engine is ticking at 3000 RPM at 100 kmph and you will only hear road noise, if music is off. Rev to 3500-4000 RPM and the engine has a real nice growl to it, which made me grin. I havent pushed the engine past 125 kmph as yet, hence not sure how it feels to cruise at that speed. Biggest irritant is continuous warning beeps after you cross 120 kmph mark, which made me set CC to 119 kmph and enjoy the ride

If you are looking for a highway mile muncher that can easily accomodate 6 people and some luggage, the XL6 should make it to the top of your shortlist. I was also in two minds about purchasing a petrol MUV but after a long hard look at the economics and efficiency, I was convinced that a petrol MUV is a decent investment.

Do note that if you will be driving a lot on bad roads, then the XL6 is not the best option and you will need to go with a ladder frame vehicle to ensure that the ride is comfortable.

Originally Posted by vinayak648o

Sir,
Congrats on the purchase and wish you many happy kms ahead !!
Could you provide the part number or link of the spark plugs as I am planning to replace mine in my 2018 1.5 petrol Ciaz

Thanks vinayak. Here is the link to the plugs that I purchased - price seems to have gone back to the 1.8K INR per plug range. Please do check if they will fit the Petrol ciaz as the Baleno uses a different spark plug.

Originally Posted by harryputtar

Congrats on your new car, its an experience one can never forget .

Thanks harryputtar.

Can you quickly touch upon the safety features of the car? Where was it tested, which variant, and how did it do on the safety parameters?

This is the same platform as the Ertiga and hence expect it to have a 3 star safety rating - details here (2019 Global NCAP crash tests - Ertiga, WagonR, Santro & Redigo). While there is some proof that MSIL has tried to strengthen frame of the XL6, we will know for sure only after the XL6 is tested.

Pardon my prejudice, but I do associate brand Maruti with unsafe cars, maybe this has the potential to change my perception.

I hope you do understand that crash testing for a car is based on the vehicle colliding with a similar vehicle. Hence a safety perception based on just crash ratings is equivalent to deciding to buy a new phone just because it has the latest Snapdragon Processor.

Originally Posted by advenk999

Go for it man! Eyes closed.

Thanks for your feedback advenk999

Originally Posted by swami69

Congratulations on the "brique". Super color choice and nice little additions/modifications. When you did the Tire swap, I would have swapped the Alloys as well for a little bit more as it will lift up the looks of this car in my opinion

Thanks swami. Alloy swap will be at the 5 year mark where I plan to upsize to 16 inchers and thicker rubber.

Eventually, I picked up a used Innova Crysta ZMT skipping this.

Enjoy your new ride!

[RaceHorse]

Congratulations on your new car, and wish you many happy miles ahead.

I was one of the early adapters, who opted for Yoko BlueEarth GT as soon as it was announced in the market.

At that time I was desperately looking for Michelin 3ST for my new Polo, and BlueEarth GT was announced,
I immediately contacted local dealer and planned my car delivery to fall in same week of BlueEarth GT availability in the Market.

I am very happy with the performance of Tyres so far. I wish you also many happy miles.

[antriksh]

Congrats on your purchase @procrj. Wishing you many happy miles with the Brique.

I am also evaluating the XL6 AT as an option. Wanted to check with you how good is the under thigh and lower back support in the driver seat and 2nd row seats especially during long journeys. Also, do the 3rd row seats fold fully or do they have a 50:50 split fold?

Thanks.

[sumit1609]

Originally Posted by procrj

7.2 Manatec Internal TPMS
Leoshashi had informed me that Manatec will be launching a new version of the TMPS that he is currently using and I reached out to Manatec via their website in the last week of March. They got in touch with me the next day, shared details of the product along with pricing. After a couple of days, I placed the order with them over Whatsapp and the product was delivered to me in 3 days. Overall a very easy no hassle process. Few pics of the product.

Congratulations on your new car. Could you tell what was the cost of Manatec internal TPMS?

[Stribog]

Hey Man, lovely review, you definitely have a way with words. I also like that you didn't go the standard white route, the shine definitely comes out in the red and the car looked classy in the twisties shots.

I started LMAO (literally!) at that bit when your wife started asking why you were going so slowly, my missus drives me up a wall with her....schizophrenia.

Drive at 105 kmph - why are you driving so rashly, can't you drive so slowly!
Drive at 99 kmph - why are you driving like a snail!

You just can't win with the ladies can you?

That being said, I just damped my Seltos and trust me, it makes a huge huge difference in cutting out and improving NVH. You might want to consider it.