[joy_swift]

Amit,

Was going through your thread and the steering issue was shocking esp as it is a Maruti....I own a 3 yr old Swift which has EPS and it doesnt veer towards the right or left...So am not sure whether its actually a EPS problem..

I am thinking of buying the SX4 but going through your thread,has put me off slightly.

As a car,how would you rate it?Esp on the engine and interiors front...I really like the SUV kind of looks and the alloys look muscular and the best I have seen(under 15L).I have seen the interior,many parts being borrowed from the Swift..Didnt like the doorpads but thik hain yaar,the central console is decent with the chrome strip...

Also,is the engine torquey?I am just trying to gauge whether its a step up from the Swift in terms of acceleration and top speed...

Have driven the Swift max at 160 and Fiesta S at 170..

[anantnehru]

I, for one love the car. Its awesome fun to drive in city traffic and on empty stretches as well. I've hit about 170-175 too. Dont know why but think that the SX4 and the Fiesta S are similar in many ways - apart from looks of course!

[prince85]

Hi,
Well yesterday i went to Maruti A** Autovista in Mumbai for a routine service of my WagonR. There i saw this new 2009 manufactued arctic white SX4 ZXI awaiting PDI procedures. On closer inspection i noticed that the rear seat was slightly different from the other SX4's.

FIRST UPDATE - The (much criticised on t-bhp) buldge near the rear center armrest has been flattened to a great extent. Soo no more uncomfy seating position for the third passenger at the rear . This was never and issue for me as i have the SX4 ZXI with optional company fitted leather upholstery and this soo called buldge that the standard SX4's had all this while was never present in my car. Anyways its a great update for all SX4 owners i guess. Even the current SX4's can buy the new updated back rest part of the rear sear and enjoy this update.

SECOND UPDATE - Now...........what really got me all excited were the new rear headrests which are much smaller (something like the Verna and Fiesta) which sit almost flush in line with the rear seat thereby greatly enhancing rear view from the inside making it much easier to reverse the car something which was a pain to do with the earlier huge rear head-rests in place which almost completely blocked the rear view. I have already ordered a pair of these new rear head-rests (with leather option) for my car. I was comtemplating putting rear sensors or camera for reversing but i guess i won't need those reversing aids anymore.

Old SX4 rear seat (Notice the buldge near the rear armrest and the huge rear headrests))


New SX4 rear seat (with a much more flattened armrest and small rear head-rests)




Please excuse me for the quality and angles of the pics taken. I was in a hurry to click the snaps as this car was all set to get into the workshop.

Cheers

[rkbharat]

thats a good change to the rear seat,

[white_vdi]

looks like maruti did listen to all the complaints after all. good job!!

[Meer]

Thanks Prince, this is super info.

I was looking to get hold of a swift rear head rest for my SX4, but seems like there is one for SX4 too now.

Any idea how much would this cost? I am sure Maruti has no plan to give it to us poor souls for free

[extreme_torque]

Looking at the pictures, the buldge is there only the headrests have changed.

[amit]

Originally Posted by joy_swift

Amit,

Was going through your thread and the steering issue was shocking esp as it is a Maruti....I own a 3 yr old Swift which has EPS and it doesnt veer towards the right or left...So am not sure whether its actually a EPS problem..

I am thinking of buying the SX4 but going through your thread,has put me off slightly.

After I got the alignment done from a real expert this issue has been sorted out to a major extent. The car is now about 75% better then what it was when brand new so the problem was probably alignment. As for the rest 25%, I guess it's characterstic of EPS or maybe Maruti hasn't perfected the art of tuning the EPS.

As a car,how would you rate it?Esp on the engine and interiors front...I really like the SUV kind of looks and the alloys look muscular and the best I have seen(under 15L).I have seen the interior,many parts being borrowed from the Swift..Didnt like the doorpads but thik hain yaar,the central console is decent with the chrome strip...

Engine is disappointing. Interiors are acceptable specially after the ANHC's downmarket ones. Open the door and take a peek at the interiors before getting in and it actually looks pretty good. I am not a fan of the SUV looks and seating, it is a sedan and the seating should be like one too but this has it's advantages no doubt about it. Also, the GC is pretty good. Again, I prefer lower cars but I really appreciated the high GC during the Mumbai monsoons. Door pads are prone to rattle even if you use the stereo constantly at volume level of 30 and over.

Also,is the engine torquey?I am just trying to gauge whether its a step up from the Swift in terms of acceleration and top speed...

To me the engine is a let down. But everything is relative. Someone upgrading from a Wagon R would be impressed by the power. Below 2500rpm I find it limp and dead but my problem was that I was upgrading from a Palio S10 and it is very difficult to equal the high standards set by a car like that so it's not entirely the SX4's fault. IMO, the SX4 is about 20bhp and equivalent torque short of being a fun to drive car. Still, you can have fun driving the SX4. Don't demand swift or wide grin inducing accelaration from the car and you will be okay. Enjoy the smooth accelaration and comfortable cruising in the car and it can be fun driving the SX4. But yea be prepared for making gear changes as the car tends to drop out of it's peak rev range pretty easily. What I have noticed is that what the Palio can do in 4th gear the SX4 does it in 3rd. That's what happens when you have the same horsepower but have to lug 12xx kgs compared to 1086kgs of the Palio. That's why I say that the car is about 20bhp short. Maybe a 1.8L would sort out this problem....

PS: Buy a good set of ear plugs

[joy_swift]

Originally Posted by amit

After I got the alignment done from a real expert this issue has been sorted out to a major extent. The car is now about 75% better then what it was when brand new so the problem was probably alignment. As for the rest 25%, I guess it's characterstic of EPS or maybe Maruti hasn't perfected the art of tuning the EPS.

Nice to hear this ...You have been thru a lot of struggle...

Originally Posted by amit

Engine is disappointing. Interiors are acceptable specially after the ANHC's downmarket ones. Open the door and take a peek at the interiors before getting in and it actually looks pretty good. I am not a fan of the SUV looks and seating, it is a sedan and the seating should be like one too but this has it's advantages no doubt about it. Also, the GC is pretty good. Again, I prefer lower cars but I really appreciated the high GC during the Mumbai monsoons. Door pads are prone to rattle even if you use the stereo constantly at volume level of 30 and over.

I hace TD-ed one and found it OK...may not be like the Fiesta S in terms of driving pleasure but not every car has all the things you want

Originally Posted by amit

IMO, the SX4 is about 20bhp and equivalent torque short of being a fun to drive car.

Maybe a 1.8L would sort out this problem....

PS: Buy a good set of ear plugs

Point taken.....But you know what??..>We would always want more bhp

I would ;love the 144bhp one they sell in UK...

[prince85]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Looking at the pictures, the buldge is there only the headrests have changed.

The buldge is much much lesser my friend. I have seen the 08 car and the new car side by side. Maybe my poor N82 camera phone couldn't capture the difference (made worse by the plastic wrapped seats). But oh yes, the new rear seat has a much more flattenned arm-rest portion than the earlier sx4's. The buldge isn't fully gone but its much much lesser than how it used to be!

Cheers

[prince85]

Originally Posted by Meer

Thanks Prince, this is super info.

I was looking to get hold of a swift rear head rest for my SX4, but seems like there is one for SX4 too now.

Any idea how much would this cost? I am sure Maruti has no plan to give it to us poor souls for free

Hi,

I doubt the Swift rear headrests would fit in the SX4. Though it can be surely tried.

The price of the new headrests and the rear seat backrest are going to be out shortly. This is because MASS are yet to recieve the new part numbers for the rear seats. But the older head rests are available at around 600 bucks approx per piece. Soo IMHO these newly designed head-rests should be be available at around the same price as well.

Cheers

[Meer]

Thanks Prince. So we wait for the new head rest

[amit]

The car is back from it's 30,000kms service. Invoice is attached.

[extreme_torque]

Isnt engine oil @ 308 Rs/Litre too expensive considering its mineral?

[trrk]

Hi Amit,

Originally Posted by amit

The car is back from it's 30,000kms service. Invoice is attached.

Is engine oil flush a must or is it your request?

What is the radiator flush and the 1 litre coolant for?