[procrj]

Sometimes you fall in love with a thought, the early seed of an idea that promises to take you down some beautiful roads. Like the spindle on your grandfather's watch, you begin to wind up the strings that hold this tender idea, the sense of excitement growing with every moment. With a sudden burst of energy, this thread of a thought begins to flow, showering you with flashes of memories and experiences. With time, these memories and experiences begin to weave into your reflection and form a big part of how you perceive yourself. But many a times we get lost in our perceived reflections and tend to forget that the seed of an idea is all that is needed to start all over again.

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I was enjoying the TUV and had no plans of replacing the same until 2023-24. But then things took a turn for the worse and I decided that it was time to look for a replacement. More details on my TUV ownership thread. The seed of an idea was planted and I decided that it was time to upgrade to a more reliable machine.

1. What car?
I was very clear on what I need in the new car:

1.1 Absolute must have

• Ability to comfortably seat 4 adults + 1 Sub Adult as I do travel with family many a times
• 2nd row AC vents
• A decent suspension setup - given that I was coming from a car that could dismiss bad roads with ease
• Good low end torque for easy city drivability
• Car with proven mechanical reliability
• Decent service levels and spares availability
• Minimum 3 Star safety levels
• OTR budget of ~15L - this was a hard constraint due to various financial commitments

1.2 Good to have

• Cruise Control
• Android auto
• Good braking - was hoping for something better than the TUV, not that it was bad
• UV cut glasses that could deal with the heat
• Reclining second and third row seats
• Third row AC vents

2. The Shortlist
Based on the above, the shortlist was a very small one

• Ertiga
• XL6
• Innova Crysta
• Mahindra Marazzo

The Innova Crysta and Ertiga need no introduction and I have driven, as well as been a passenger in the same many times. After a lot of debate at home, we decided not to go the used Innova Crysta way and a new Crysta was way out of the budget. Hence Innova was crossed off from the consideration list. Ertiga was a prime contender in 2015 before I picked up the TUV300 and the new Ertiga was back at the top of the consideration list this time around.
Before test driving the new Ertiga, I decided to check out the XL6 and see if it is worth the premium over the Ertiga. I have been following Leoshashi's XL6 thread and decided to reach out to him for inputs, feedback, quirks and positives w.r.t the XL6, before I test drive the same. Shashi provided a flood of information on the XL6 and asked me to take multiple drives of the XL6 before I decide. I was also in touch with DBHPian Parag, discussing various options and and he also spoke about a few of his friends/relatives picking up the XL6 and the value that it delivers.

In the last week of Feb and first week of march, I ended up taking 3 test drives of the XL6 and was impressed with the package as a whole. After the first 10km test drive, I was impressed with a) the almost diesel-like low end torque that the car managed to deliver b) ease of driving this long car in city traffic. The second test drive was a long 80 km drive where I managed to hit 3 digit speeds and check highway behavior of the car. Given that the car suspension and transmission are the same as the Ertiga, I was not expecting a lot of difference. The ride & handling is same as Ertiga but the captain seats impressed my family. After the second test drive, we were quite sure of booking the XL6, unless the Marazzo turned out to be a magic machine.



I was in two minds with the Marazzo as the primary reason I sold the TUV was the lackluster service experience. Quoting from my TUV ownership thread.

This was the last straw and I realized that a) M&M will continue to treat its non XUV car owners like second hand citizens b) with increased volumes from the new Thar, Scorpio & XUV(when launched), TUV and other M&M car owners will only slide further down the priority chain. Also realized that increased sales volumes has not resulted in increased service capacity (new service centers) or upgrading of existing service capacity (new bays, more trained personnel). In fact, everything was moving the other way around where M.A.S.S was losing tenured & trained staff and more service bays have been used to just park the huge backlog of cars which need to be serviced.

I decided to test drive the Marazzo before making a decision. A couple of things that stood out to me after the test drive a) The ergonomics are a little off in the Marazzo. The seats were a little uncomfortable for me and even my family provided similar feedback on the 2nd row bench seats and b) The engine, power delivery, all of it is so much like the TUV. It was comforting as well as alarming given the niggles and issues I had experienced with the TUV. Given that the price of the Marazzo was upwards of 16L for the M4 variant, I was not too happy with the value proposition and decided to drop the Marazzo from my consideration list.

What about the Hector and Safari you ask? Both of these cars did whizz through my head a few times but after reading up on the various Hector threads and experiences of owners online, decided to give the Hector a pass. The safari was a new launch, which would mean dealing with niggles associated with a new launch at an added cost. While the safari is a great car, after checking out all the reviews and feedback online, I decided to stay away from the Safari.

[procrj]

3. Booking XL6 and the long wait

After another short drive of the XL6, booked the Auburn Red XL6 1.5 Alpha MT at Varun Nexa, Rajajinagar. The booking experience was smooth and I was informed that the waiting period is 6-8 weeks. All of March was spent looking at various reviews of the XL6, thinking about accessories/modifications and talking to Leoshahsi about the car. Started following up with my sales associate and his manager in the last week of March and over the next few weeks, the delivery goal post continued to shift. I was aware of the semiconductor shortage and its impact on manufacturing, but my frustration was with the inability of the sales folks to give me a confirmed timeline for dispatch from the factory. Quickly escalated my booking to the dealership manager and RSM, who was very prompt and kept me in the loop with the latest update. The RSM did indicate that I might have to compromise on the color if I was looking for a quick delivery and requested that I provide a second and third color option. I chose Magma Grey and Silver as my backup color options but did ask the RSM to push for red. After a week of following up with the RSM, the car was dispatched from the factory on 17th April.

Maruti announced a price hike for cars from April and I was very irked by this. From March end, I was talking to the dealership manager about the hike and he recommended that we hold off this discussion till he gets a confirmation from maruti regarding the hike. As luck would have it, the price hike was formally shared with dealers on 16th April and was applicable on all cars, irrespective of booking date. I followed up with the RSM and Dealership Manager and they decided to offer a 5K discount on accessories that I was interested in. I had already managed to get a discount of 3K on accessories when I had opted to finance the car through Nexa, which implied that I could avail a net 8K discount on accessories. In between all this, the second wave of Covid decided to crash land and disrupt life once again. Karnataka went into lockdown from 28th April and I was happy to wait for my car as there is nothing worse than the itch to drive a new car!

4. PDI and Delivery
After 2 months of lockdown and riding out the covid wave, I received a call from my RM on 11th June and he confirmed that the car has reached the showroom. Bangalore was supposed to start opening up from 14th June and my RM confirmed that I could do the PDI on 12th June. Drove down to the showroom along with the TBHP PDI checklist and some pointers that I had noted down from Leoshashi’s ownership thread & discussions. The PDI was quite a straightforward affair and there were no red flags. Post inspection, cleared out all the finance formalities and gave the go ahead for registration. The car was registered on 18th June and I took delivery of the vehicle on the same day.

First look at the car during PDI


My son had decided to call the car “Brick” as it was red, long and he hoped to have as much fun with it as he had had watching the character “brick” in The Middle, an american sitcom. I decided to keep the emotions associated with the name but give it a little twist as the last thing I wanted was a bricked car Hence we decided to name the car “Brique”, not too passe, still very apt and it felt right.

Brique


After a quick handover ceremony at the showroom, I drove Brique to the nearest petrol pump and filled it up with 45 liters of fuel. Tyre pressure was at a very sane 50 PSI, which was slowly reduced to 32 PSI. A quick visit to my parents and in-laws place and the car was back home, ready to wait out the 2 days of weekend lockdown. While it was frustrating to sit at home with a new car in the garrage, I did use the time to give the car a nice clean wash, post which I applied a double coat of Turtle Wax Hybdrid Solutions to protect paint & plastic surface. Also managed to strip off the gunk that the dealer had applied to the dashboard and interior trims and cleanly wiped all trims as well as leather with a generous coat of CarPro PERL.

Shine on you crazy diamond

[procrj]

The official review thread already has a lot of information on the car as a whole and Leoshashi in his ownership thread (My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review) has expanded on the information and provided a lot more detail, which I dont plan on repeating. I will keep it simple and focus on the likes and dislikes

5.1 Likes

• The refined K15B petrol engine - really beginning to like the throaty note that the engine develops after 3K RPM. During highway drives, It's very muted while cruising at 90-110 kmph. Driving through twisties is when you get to rev that engine and listen to the sweet growl!
• Beautifully tuned 2nd gear - I find myself taking speed breakers in 2nd gear and the engine just does not stall. Very rarely do I have to shift to 1st gear when tackling city traffic, potholes, rumbler strips and varied speed breakers of Bangalore city.
• A very neutral suspension setup helps the car handle various features of Bangalore city roads (potholes, rumbler strips, amazing speed breakers etc.) with aplomb. Never did the car feel unsettled or in need of more ground clearance, even when fully loaded. On the highways, the suspension does tend to bounce a bit when you dive into a dip at speed, but it quickly settles down.
• Ride quality in the city mostly depends on the road surface but on highway tarmac, there is not much to complain. The car can easily coast all day doing triple digit speeds and the seats are comfortable and do not induce fatigue.
• Very neutral handling - I did spend some time pushing the car in the hills around Chikkamagaluru and I was not disappointed with the way the car handled given its size. Did not encounter any over/under steer when I was revving the engine and I never felt disconnected from the wheels. The car does tend to roll around a bit if you take curves at speed, which I did expect given its size.
• Smart hybrid system - tiny increase in torque delivery when the ISG delivers power to the wheels in tandem with the engine.
• Cruise control - most of my drives are 4:00/5:00 am start with minimal traffic on 4L/6L roads to start with, which makes cruise control a very big plus point. Controls are also easy to use and can quickly be deactivated.
• Feel of the steering wheel - My first thought was that the steering is small but having driven it over the last 3 weeks, I must say that it's comfortable to use. It's easy to grip and maneuver when driving around twisties.
• Good placement of the rear view camera which is very hard to spot unless you are specifically looking for the same. Rear sensors and the camera are a big plus when parking the car in tight spots as they do a very good job of highlighting objects and distances.
• Functional Android Head Unit - OEM touch screen unit does a good job when it comes to calls and connecting to maps using android auto. I have only used Maps and Youtube Music when connected to android auto, which have worked very well.
• Auto Start system - works very well and is a boon when negotiating city traffic.
• Well laid out engine bay - cleaning the air filter and checking fluid levels is not going to be a problem.
• Neat and well organized tool compartment.
• Easy to use automatic climate control setup that does a decent job of managing air flow, temperature and fully functional 2nd row AC with additional vents for 3rd row passengers as well.
• Nifty space in the boot to store accessories and other equipment.

Small but easy to use steering wheel


Soft touch ACC buttons feels good


Maximum utilization of space


5.2 Dislikes

• A lot of noise seeping into the cabin, thanks to thin window panels and minimal sound damping on the roof and floor. While road and wind noise are not very big irritants, I do get very irritated when I can hear goods carriers and fan belt squeal from other vehicles inside my car.
• LED headlights - coming from a 90/100 halogen setup in my previous car, the LEDs are are mixed bag. When driving in absolute dark with no fog/rain, they are very good. A little bit of rain or some weak street lighting and I am struggling to spot things on the road.
• Panel and interior plastic flex - typically maruti feature, which could have been improved on their premium offering. I was surprised to see the door panel flex when the windows started to roll up.
• The big plastic cladding on wheel arches - cladding width could have been reduced by about 20% and slightly better finish could have been achieved, which would have ensured a more polished look for this MPV.
• Dashboard reflection projected on the windscreen in direct sunlight, which makes it difficult to see potholes and road deformities when driving on 2L highways with trees.
• Unusable center armrest - It's too low for the driver to use comfortably and co-passenger cannot comfortably rest their hands on it as they will end up touching the drivers’ left hand. Space under the armrest is absolutely useless as it can't hold an old school wallet, let alone a mobile phone.
• Lack of UV cut glasses, auto dimming IVRMs, footwell lamps in a premium car.

5.3.Small but significant things

• Window controls are not illuminated, making it hard to use in the dark.
• Flip side of all black interiors is that every speck of dust is easily visible, which is a big no no for me. Looks like I will end up cleaning the car interiors more often.
• The flapping rear number plate - Maruti has provided just 2 slots on the rear hatch to fix number plates, hence the bottom half of the plate is secured using double sided tape.
• Shiny black plastic unit on the rear hatch, which is already turning out to be a scratch magnet.
• The amazing touch screen housing creak that turns up when driving slowly on roads that are not smooth.

5.4 What I miss from the TUV

• The sweet little turbo that could just pull and pull. When I drop speed on the highway, I find myself downshifting and revving hard to get to cruising speeds of 80+ kmph in the XL6.
• Commanding seating position and visibility, which translated to easy planning of lane changes and overtakes. In the XL6, I need to depend on the drivers in other cars to make the right decisions OR peep around corners/see through other cars before making a decision.
• Solid feel of panels, interior plastics and glass surfaces. Really dislike the “flex” feature that Maruti has decided to include in its cars.

[procrj]

6. Smart Hybrid - Does it really help?

The simple answer is Yes, but only for a short duration. The smart hybrid system is primarily made up of an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) and a Lithium Ion battery that is placed under the passenger seat. Do check this detailed post (My first car: 2020 Maruti Suzuki XL6 Alpha MT Review) on how the system functions.

The Li battery is rated at 3AH, which transaltes to 36wH of power and hence its real world usability is restricted. The Battery indicator shows 5 bars when fully charged and the ISG draws power from it when there is a need to accelerate. The ISG is capable of delivering max of ~12 PS of additional power when needed and the system works well till the Li battery charge drops to 2 bars. Once charge drops to 2 bars, the power to the ISG is cut off, hence no additional boost from the ISG when you need it.

Different states of battery usage & charging

Pic credit - Leoshashi

How do all these numbers translate into real world drivability? Here are my observations based on the ~1600kms of driving.

6.1 City driving
- If you start with 5 bars, quick acceleration at signals, flyovers etc. can quickly drain 3 bars of Li battery charge in about 10 minutes of continued usage.
- Hence the strategy to maximize ISG power is to ensure that you are not on the throttle while rolling down flyovers OR decelerate when you have the opportunity.
- This way the Li battery continues to charge and you can draw power from the ISG when needed.
- Pretty sure the ISG power will have a significant impact on city F.E but I haven't had the chance to test and measure impact.

6.2 Highway driving - 2L/4L
- Relatively easier to ensure that the Li battery charge stays at the 5/4 bar mark as its charges up quickly while decelerating.
- When Cruise Control(CC) is on, it doesn't really charge the battery and also doesn't use ISG inputs, in most cases, to accelerate. Hence its important to strike a balance between using CC and ISG power to maximize range.
- IMO the smarty hybrid system doesn't have a very large impact when average speeds are ~70 kmph over large distances as its less about sudden burst of acceleration.

6.3 Highway driving - Twisties
- Need to use the power delivered by ISG sensibly as battery charge can quickly drop from 5 bars to 2 bars under continuous acceleration. I encountered a situation where within a 5 minute window of uphill driving, the charge dropped to 2 bars.
- I beliver that the smart hybrid system is not much help when driving around in the hills, unless its a series of peaks of troughs that you are negotiating.

6.4 Overall verdict - The Smart hybrid system is a good to have for most common use cases (city and 2L/4L highway drives) that users will encounter and it does help provide a small boost to the F.E that the car delivers. Would have been better if Suzuki had provided a larger battery which could have been capable of sustaining ISG power delivery for longer duration of time.

[procrj]

7. Accessories and Modifications

Since the day I booked the car, I have been thinking about various accessories and modifications for the car. Some of them I ordered before the car was manufactured and some I waited for the right time Below is a detailed account of accessories, upgrades and modifications on Brique.

7.1 Additional Alloy wheel
With the TUV, I had used 4 of 5 tyres and this time around I planned to use the spare as well. Decided to use the accessories discount offered by my dealer to order a spare alloy wheel. MGA cost of the same is 5.5K INR, which I believe to be a very good price for an alloy as M&M was retailing TUV alloys at 15K INR each. Initially, the plan was to order the alloy from the dealer and get new tyres mounted but then Varun Nexa decided to pull a fast one by quoting 6.3K INR for the alloy. Decided not to pick anything addtional from the dealer and ended up ordering the alloys from Essar Auto, an MGA authorised distributor, who offered the alloy for 5.2K.

Pic credits - Leoshashi

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.

5 Sensors and the display unit


Sensors with replaceable battery


TPMS sensors were installed during the tyre upgrade.

Display unit post installation of sensors


7.3 Tyre upgrade - Yoko BlueEarth GT AE51 195/65/R15
After a lot of discussion with Leoshashi and some research, I decided to upsize tyres to 195/65R15 from the stock Bridgestone Ecopia 185/65R15. XM2s would have been my first choice but given the scarcity of Michellins, decided to go with Yoko BE AE51s. I was in touch with a couple of Yoko dealers and once the car was on its way from the factory, asked Mr Devraj from Lakshmi Yoko to order and stock up on 5 Yoko AE51 195/65R15s and paid an advance of 1K INR. The new AE51s were priced at 5.6K INR per tyre and the OEM Ecopias were exchanged for 3.6k INR. Hence the net investment from my end was 10K INR for 5 tyres. Devraj patiently answered all my questions and was very professional in the entire process and confirmed that the date of manufacture on the tyres would be 2021.




Also got TPMS sensors installed on all 5 alloys when tyres were upgraded.

7.4 PMC2.5 Air filter
Given the air quality as well as current Covid scenario, this was a no brainer. Shared the part number with Essar auto, who arranged for the same.


7.5 Non Illuminated Door Sill Guard
I am not a big fan of sill guards but this did look really good, hence decided to get the same for Brique. Ordered them from Essar Auto, got them delivered along with the alloy and PMC air filter. Instructions were easy to follow and it was easy to fit the sill guards.

7.6 Elegant Cord Mats
After a look at the mats that are provided by NEXA, I decided to search for options. I wasn't too keen on noodle mats as they tend to harden over time also tend to smell during the monsoon. I didn't see the value in 3D,4D,7D etc. hence decided to stick to simple cord mats. Checked out Elegant mats on amazon and after some feedback from Shashi, decided to order the same. Reached out to them via their website and after a small reduction in price, ordered a full set of black cord mats for the car at 3.4K INR. Mats were delivered within 7 days and am quite happy with them.

Driver side mat with padding


The prickly surface on the rear of the mat - reduces movement


7.7 Osram Parking Lights
This was a no brainer and a simple upgrade. Ordered these lights from amazon and installed them after I got my number plates.


7.8 Denso Iridium Spark plugs
When I read about this on Shashi’s thread, I was sure that this would be an upgrade for my car as it made sense. I started tracking the price of these spark plugs on boodmo and on 10th March, the price dropped to ~950 INR per spark plug from ~1800 INR per spark plug. Waited for a couple of more days to check if it would drop further and then placed an order on boodmo for a set of 4. The delivery date was 4th April, which then moved to 7th April. On 14th April, I reached out to boodmo support for an update and they asked me to wait for a few more days as this was an import item. I thought the Suez canal block might be impacting delivered and hence decided to hold on. Reached out to boodmo support again on 16th April and they got the product dispatched the next day, which was delivered to me on 21st April.



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.

7.9 Planned Upgrades
7.9.1 Underbody Cover
Based on the part number shared by Leoshashi, I had ordered and received this cover from Essar Auto and I plan to get the same installed soon.

7.9.2 Door Sil and Edge protection
Plan to get PPF on the Door edges, OVRMs, Door handle slots and Painted part of the door sill.

7.9.3 Speakers Upgrade
The stock speakers on this premium car are absolute junk and I plan to upgrade the same to infinity co-axials in the next few months.

7.9.4 Damping
Definetly plan to invest in door and floor damping to improve sound quality and try and reduce ingress of noise.

[procrj]

8. Service History
Plan to use this post as a directory for all service related posts

8.1 - First service on 12/7/2021 ODO at 1616 kms

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8.1 First Service
Scheduled first service on July 12th with the odo at 1616 kms. Service schedule doesn't recommend fluid changes hence it was a pretty simple affair. It took the SA some time to raise the service request on the system as it was the first service. Took this opportunity to replace regular spark plugs with the Iridium plugs that I had ordered. Did not get the car washed as there was a long queue of cars waiting and the SA requested that I come by sometime later in the week when the queue is leaner.

Waiting in the service bay

[procrj]

9. Trip Log
Plan to use this post as a directory to log all trips

9.1 First long drive - Chikkamagaluru
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9.1 First long drive - Chikkamagaluru
Karnataka decided to relax interdistrict travel restrictions starting July 5th and we decided to head to Chikkamagalur to soak in some green monsoon magic. Morning 5.00 am start ensured that there was minimal traffic on the road and we were able to reach our family friends’ place by 8.15 am for breakfast. My usual speeds on the Nelamangala - Hassan stretch is around 100-110 kmph but this time around, I was a little slow as I was trying to figure out the best way to drive the car and stay in the economy zone. While I tried all kinds of small experiments to check for ride, handling, braking, throttle response etc. the car continued to quietly eat up distance without a hiccup. My wife did ask me why I was going slow a couple of times and I decided that it was time to give up on the quest for economy and just enjoy driving the car.

MID F.E during the onward journey - door to door


When I hit the Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur road, I stopped looking at the MID and focused on driving the car and thoroughly enjoyed it. Through the course of the week, we ended up driving multiple times to Kadur and also drove to Balehonnur, Mudigere and Belur, which gave me a chance to drive the car through some good twisty roads and understand its strengths and limitations.



Return journey was a non stop 3 hours dash back home on sunday morning and I was back to my normal driving of 100-100 kmph speeds. Cruise control is definitely a boon as it does give you the much needed time to stretch/relax your right leg, even if it's for a few minutes. Tankful F.E for the return journey was 15.8 kmpl, which translates to an average cost of 6.7 Rs per km. Not too bothered about this but I am hoping that the car manages to settle down and get a wee bit more efficient over the next few months.

Few pics of the car from the trip.

Coffee stop near Balehonnur


Soaking in some green


Amidst hills and rain


One the whole it was a good trip to get familiar with the car and I hope I can squeeze in another long journey during the monsoons this year.

[procrj]

Wanted to take this opportunity to thank Leoshashi for:
1) Writing and updating his owernship thread that continues to accumulate mods and information for current and potential XL6 owners.
2) Patiently answering all of my questions and concerns.
3) Being someone who chases perfection, makes life easier for us lazy owners

Also wanted to thank Paragsachania for his inputs during various stages of the decision making process. Would be amis not to thank TeamBHP as a whole, not easy to continue to hold onto high quality standards in this fragmented social space.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Will go to our homepage

[vigsom]

You'd posted a trailer of this car last month, @procrj, but the movie that you just released, was even more enjoyable. Congratulations once again.

When anyone asks me for a recommendation for a sub-20L car, the XL6 has always been my default first recommendation, with the Crysta GX being the second. What I've seen of late is that people do not associate Marutis with "status" (unlike, say, when people had no qualms about owning an sx4) and therefore end up the Kia or MG way because of the glitter on offer.

Originally Posted by procrj

- Additional Alloy wheel
- Tyre upgrade - Yoko BlueEarth GT AE51 195/65/R15
net investment from my end was 10K INR for 5 tyres.
- Elegant Cord Mats
- Denso Iridium Spark plugs
- Damping

I bow my head down to thee for these very sensible additions. When a friend bought a BR-V in 2017, I'd recommended the exact same brand, Elegant, and he sings praises of these even today. They're that good.

I'm a huge fan of Yokohama and have recommended these tyres to several owners that I know. Barring the Earth-1s of 2014-17 where sidewall cuts were the order of the day even by just grazing a kerb, other tyres have held up very well.

Iridiums - you don't need to bother about them for 1,00,000kms.

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. These, with damping, will make a huge difference to the Soundstage without hitting the pocket much.

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

[Leoshashi]

Congratulations boss on your new car, and wishing you years of trouble free ownership.

The amount of research you did was mind boggling and I was glad to be a part of the decision making process all along. This shade of Red looks the best IMO on the XL6, giving it a very premium vibe. The wait was worth it as it makes your car stand out from the sea of White and Grey Ertiga/XL6s on the road.

We recently procured a Crysta GX for use at our native place and except the impeccable ride package on non existing roads and the awesome pull in PWR mode, there wasn't much difference between XL6 and the Crysta. On those kind of roads, the XL6 feels fragile just like any other Monocoque while the Crysta feels invincible. The base model Innova touched almost 20 lac while the XL6 was less than 12. Hence it is a lot of car for that money.

I'm sure this thread will become the goldmine of information, just like your TUV thread. Keep the updates pouring.

Regards,
Shashi

[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!

It's impossible to overlook the value that XL6 provides as a package - pricing, features, space, ergonomics and good performance! No wonder it is selling in very good numbers as people realize the value.

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.

[landcruiser123]

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

Originally Posted by procrj

Maximum utilization of space
Attachment 2178373

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

[locusjag]

The Brique looks good! The touring force is strong with you once again. I would myself be tempted in the future by an Automatic XL6, truth be told Leoshashi's and your review have piqued an interest in this car in me.

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

[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.