Took Delivery of New Maruti Ritz Zxi

shreeps · 10th August 2009, 16:15

Dad had booked the Ritz Zxi some weeks back and it finally arrived. Here's the story.

Chronology:

Wednesday (Aug 5): Got a call from the Maruti dealer that our car has arrived in the stockyard. I had already told him that I want to do a pre registration inspection so I will need to see that car *before* he sends it for registration to the RTO.
He had already given us the engine and chassis number as soon as he was informed of dispatch by Maruti so I thought that was a plus on his side and there would be minimal chances of trying a switcheroo on us. And since Ritz is a new model there would be very less chances of getting an older model (Also I knew the dispatch date).

He said that we had 2 options - either we could go to the stockyard or he would get the car to the showroom anyway so we could see it there.
We opted for the second option since the stockyard is very far away.

Thursday (Aug 6): Went to the dealer and saw our car standing there. Did a thorough visual inspection plus checked the engine and chassis number as well as most of the points mentioned in the pre reg inspection thread on team-BHP.

The odometer was connected and showed 27 KM which I thought was pretty reasonable since the stockyard is at least 20 km away.

I had seen on one of the threads that some chap got a non alloy 5th wheel with his Zxi, so I made sure to check the spare as well.

Talked with the sales guy and he said that the car would be registered the next day and we could pick it up by evening if we wanted to. I told him that I want to do a thorough inspection and would like to take delivery in the morning. He agreed to that.

Saturday (Aug 8): Went in the morning at around 11 o clock with family. Did the paperwork in terms of getting the insurance note, receipts etc.

The sales person called a maintenance supervisor over to give us a demo. It was fairly detailed and covered most of the points in the PDI checklist. I covered the remaining points on my own and noticed a small scratch on the rear bumper which he promised to take care of. Rest everything seemed ok. Note the stress on "seemed"!

After the photo session we took the car and filled in 5 litres petrol for which they had given a coupon.

I had decided to change the stock tyres from the existing JK tyres to Michelin XM1+ (Thanks to Nikhilb2008 for his help and advice). So off I went directly to the tyre shop.

Imagine my consternation when I saw that one of the tyre rims was slightly bent!!

And this despite my so called inspection!!

So I obviously didnt upgrade that tyre and instead kept it aside and showed it immediately to the Maruti dealer. He agreed that it looked like a manufacturing defect and asked me to come with the tyre on monday and get it replaced.

Now for the driving experience:

After driving a WagonR for almost 10 years and 800s before that, this car feels very different. As many have attested, the engine is super smooth and quiet and peppy as well.

Things I liked:
1. Feeling of space in the cabin
2. Engine smoothness. As Ada mentioned in his review, one needs to look at the tachometer to reassure oneself that the engine is indeed running
3. Have to really keep a light foot on the accelerator. Speeds of 80-90 kmph are reached effortlessly
4. The tyres are really good and inspire confidence while cornering (hmm or is this due to the Michelins?)
5. The gearshift is good and each gear falls into place properly. Only reverse seems a bit stubborn at times.
6. Driving position is very comfortable and the height adjustment lever is a boon.
7. The steering to handles well and isnt as light as some other cars. It does allow you to feel the road and hence feel more in control.
8. Quality of stock ICE is average but it didnt have any trouble playing a number of MP3 CDs I had burnt.
9. The looks are suprisingly appealing and even the rear which is everyone's favourite bugbear looks much better in real life than in photos and it has started growing on me already.

Things that could have been better:
1. Clutch seems a bit hard and has a lot of play. Might be a problem with just my car. Can other Ritz owners please provide feedback.
2. I dont know if its the ABS or something else, but braking occasionally produces a kind of groaning noise.
3. The headlights are a big let down. Though the front and rear fog lamps are a plus.
4. Where's the engine temperature gauge???
5. I would have preferred a regular fuel gauge than the digital one
6. The boot space or rather the lack of it (yeah I know, and I want the moon too!!)

Overall its a very good car and well worth the money spent. I think Maruti has a winner on its hands. Now time will tell whether it ages gracefully or develops issues (read rattles and squeaks)

One interesting thing I learnt from the sales person was that its the Petrol top end model which is more in demand than the Diesel variant.

Next steps:

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize: I just got the rubber mats and mud flaps from the dealer.
Follow up with Maruti dealer to get the tyre replaced
Follow up with Maruti dealer to get the scratch touched up or bumper replaced
Check out the FE

Oops. I missed the color - Its "Silky Silver" as dreamt up by the Maruti marketing Guys!
Will post some photos soon.

nurni76 · 10th August 2009, 16:22

Congrats Shreeps. Zxi Ritz is a fantastic VFM product. Hope you have a great drive. Please do post pictures. Also which colour is it?

balajird · 10th August 2009, 16:34

Congrats on your purchase Shree, if not for my wife's dissatisfaction about the rear seat comfort, i would have booked one. How do you feel is the ride comfort for the rear seat passengers?

Enjoy your drive.

Nikhilb2008 · 10th August 2009, 16:37

Congrats Shreeps!! Do post some pics when you can! Enjoy the car and drive safe!

inferno · 10th August 2009, 16:52

Congrats dude !
Reading your review was enjoyable and I think Ritz Zxi is one of the best and VFM variant for a hatchback in the market right now. Do keep updated with details about the car.

And please do update in time about rattling issue in this Maruti, if you get it in near or far future. I was confused with i10 and Ritz sometime back but ended up taking i10, and my presumption that Ritz may rattle in future was one of the big reasons.

cartech · 10th August 2009, 17:58

Congrats on Ritz. What colour? Please post the photos.

I have posted my initial driving experience in seperate thread. I agree with your observations regarding head light and reverse gear. After 1K km it should become smooth.

Drive safely!

mnhegde · 10th August 2009, 20:00

Congrats Friend. Ritz looks nice in silky silver. One of the best and a good VFM car (ZXI). Post some pics and Initial report soon.

Have fun, Drive safe.

Sunilrj · 10th August 2009, 21:21

congrats on the Ritz! i assume the bent rim is an alloy wheel..? what are the accessories / mods planned ? have you thought of a tyre and rim upgrade to either 15" / 16" or 17" wheels..? i saw a silky silver with 17" rims in chrome and it looked mind blowing!

gemithomas · 11th August 2009, 08:28

Congrats on the new buy. What colour. Really liked the look of the car in a few of their new colours.

During my short test drive i also felt a little uncomfortable with the placement of the clutch/brake/accelerator. Both of us who did the TD were having an aching ankle. Not sure why this happened. We also felt that the clutch was tight for a maruti (we both drive fiats and you know how hard its clutch is

) As you said, the engine is a gem. Its not like any of the earlier maruti engines. I'll say its a big leap forward.

Enjoy the car. Drive safe.

shreeps · 11th August 2009, 13:12

Guys, thanks a lot for your wishes.

@balajird: Havent sat in the rear for too long but it definitely is a bit stiff and bouncy. But width wise its pretty good. 3 ladies were able to sit comfortable (and none of them was the thin kind

)

@inferno: No rattling yet but its still early days. It does feel more solidly built than my earlier Wagon R though.

@cartech: I sure hope the reverse gear becomes better after first servicing. Did you feel any issues with the clutch?

@Sunilrj: yes it is an alloy wheel. Not planning for too many accessories or mods since the car will be primarily driven by my dad. So I won't increase the tyre size. I just changed the brand from JK to michelins. Just the usual sunfilm and seat covers. I may go in for reverse sensor and/or camera since there are a lot of kids in our colony and my dad's scared that someone will get run over. Due to the high rear window its difficult to see anything below a certain height.

@gemithomas: Thats a good point you brought up. I too felt the clutch to be a little hard compared to my Wagon R. Also missing is a dead pedal. That would have really helped.

As promised, here are some pics

balajird · 11th August 2009, 14:37

Thanks for the pics Shree, the car looks cool, please be careful while opening the rear doors as the door design is a bit awkward and you might get hurt in your face. Kindly check the other RITZ threads where this was discussed. one of our fellow member even reported a chipped tooth due to this. :(

rkbharat · 11th August 2009, 14:51

Looks futuristic, and beautiful in Silky Silver.

SAHIR.KITTUR · 11th August 2009, 14:59

The spare alloy looks to be damaged,or am I seeing something.

Gilead · 11th August 2009, 15:03

Shreeps, congrats!@ Nice looking car. How much did you pay for the Michelins and how much did you get for the stock tyres?

solly · 11th August 2009, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAHIR.KITTUR

The spare alloy looks to be damaged,or am I seeing something.

My guess the Tire shop might have damaged the rim during the tire swap..

10th August 2009, 16:15	#1
shreeps BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 271 Thanked: 20 Times	Took Delivery of New Maruti Ritz Zxi Dad had booked the Ritz Zxi some weeks back and it finally arrived. Here's the story. Chronology: Wednesday (Aug 5): Got a call from the Maruti dealer that our car has arrived in the stockyard. I had already told him that I want to do a pre registration inspection so I will need to see that car before he sends it for registration to the RTO. He had already given us the engine and chassis number as soon as he was informed of dispatch by Maruti so I thought that was a plus on his side and there would be minimal chances of trying a switcheroo on us. And since Ritz is a new model there would be very less chances of getting an older model (Also I knew the dispatch date). He said that we had 2 options - either we could go to the stockyard or he would get the car to the showroom anyway so we could see it there. We opted for the second option since the stockyard is very far away. Thursday (Aug 6): Went to the dealer and saw our car standing there. Did a thorough visual inspection plus checked the engine and chassis number as well as most of the points mentioned in the pre reg inspection thread on team-BHP. The odometer was connected and showed 27 KM which I thought was pretty reasonable since the stockyard is at least 20 km away. I had seen on one of the threads that some chap got a non alloy 5th wheel with his Zxi, so I made sure to check the spare as well. Talked with the sales guy and he said that the car would be registered the next day and we could pick it up by evening if we wanted to. I told him that I want to do a thorough inspection and would like to take delivery in the morning. He agreed to that. Saturday (Aug 8): Went in the morning at around 11 o clock with family. Did the paperwork in terms of getting the insurance note, receipts etc. The sales person called a maintenance supervisor over to give us a demo. It was fairly detailed and covered most of the points in the PDI checklist. I covered the remaining points on my own and noticed a small scratch on the rear bumper which he promised to take care of. Rest everything seemed ok. Note the stress on "seemed"! After the photo session we took the car and filled in 5 litres petrol for which they had given a coupon. I had decided to change the stock tyres from the existing JK tyres to Michelin XM1+ (Thanks to Nikhilb2008 for his help and advice). So off I went directly to the tyre shop. Imagine my consternation when I saw that one of the tyre rims was slightly bent!! And this despite my so called inspection!! So I obviously didnt upgrade that tyre and instead kept it aside and showed it immediately to the Maruti dealer. He agreed that it looked like a manufacturing defect and asked me to come with the tyre on monday and get it replaced. Now for the driving experience: After driving a WagonR for almost 10 years and 800s before that, this car feels very different. As many have attested, the engine is super smooth and quiet and peppy as well. Things I liked: 1. Feeling of space in the cabin 2. Engine smoothness. As Ada mentioned in his review, one needs to look at the tachometer to reassure oneself that the engine is indeed running 3. Have to really keep a light foot on the accelerator. Speeds of 80-90 kmph are reached effortlessly 4. The tyres are really good and inspire confidence while cornering (hmm or is this due to the Michelins?) 5. The gearshift is good and each gear falls into place properly. Only reverse seems a bit stubborn at times. 6. Driving position is very comfortable and the height adjustment lever is a boon. 7. The steering to handles well and isnt as light as some other cars. It does allow you to feel the road and hence feel more in control. 8. Quality of stock ICE is average but it didnt have any trouble playing a number of MP3 CDs I had burnt. 9. The looks are suprisingly appealing and even the rear which is everyone's favourite bugbear looks much better in real life than in photos and it has started growing on me already. Things that could have been better: 1. Clutch seems a bit hard and has a lot of play. Might be a problem with just my car. Can other Ritz owners please provide feedback. 2. I dont know if its the ABS or something else, but braking occasionally produces a kind of groaning noise. 3. The headlights are a big let down. Though the front and rear fog lamps are a plus. 4. Where's the engine temperature gauge??? 5. I would have preferred a regular fuel gauge than the digital one 6. The boot space or rather the lack of it (yeah I know, and I want the moon too!!) Overall its a very good car and well worth the money spent. I think Maruti has a winner on its hands. Now time will tell whether it ages gracefully or develops issues (read rattles and squeaks) One interesting thing I learnt from the sales person was that its the Petrol top end model which is more in demand than the Diesel variant. Next steps: Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize: I just got the rubber mats and mud flaps from the dealer. Follow up with Maruti dealer to get the tyre replaced Follow up with Maruti dealer to get the scratch touched up or bumper replaced Check out the FE Oops. I missed the color - Its "Silky Silver" as dreamt up by the Maruti marketing Guys! Will post some photos soon. Last edited by shreeps : 10th August 2009 at 16:25. Reason: forgot to add the car color
	() Thanks

10th August 2009, 16:22	#2
nurni76 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: BLR/SEATTLE Posts: 907 Thanked: 360 Times View My Garage	Congrats Shreeps. Zxi Ritz is a fantastic VFM product. Hope you have a great drive. Please do post pictures. Also which colour is it?
	() Thanks

10th August 2009, 16:34	#3
balajird BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 460 Thanked: 63 Times	Congrats on your purchase Shree, if not for my wife's dissatisfaction about the rear seat comfort, i would have booked one. How do you feel is the ride comfort for the rear seat passengers? Enjoy your drive.
	() Thanks

10th August 2009, 16:37	#4
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	Congrats Shreeps!! Do post some pics when you can! Enjoy the car and drive safe!
	() Thanks

10th August 2009, 16:52	#5
inferno BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 208 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	Congrats dude ! Reading your review was enjoyable and I think Ritz Zxi is one of the best and VFM variant for a hatchback in the market right now. Do keep updated with details about the car. And please do update in time about rattling issue in this Maruti, if you get it in near or far future. I was confused with i10 and Ritz sometime back but ended up taking i10, and my presumption that Ritz may rattle in future was one of the big reasons.
	() Thanks

10th August 2009, 17:58	#6
cartech BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 198 Thanked: Once	Wellcome to Ritz Club!! Congrats on Ritz. What colour? Please post the photos. I have posted my initial driving experience in seperate thread. I agree with your observations regarding head light and reverse gear. After 1K km it should become smooth. Drive safely!
	() Thanks

10th August 2009, 20:00	#7
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	Congrats Friend. Ritz looks nice in silky silver. One of the best and a good VFM car (ZXI). Post some pics and Initial report soon. Have fun, Drive safe.
	() Thanks

10th August 2009, 21:21	#8
Sunilrj BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mangalore Posts: 773 Thanked: 589 Times	congrats on the Ritz! i assume the bent rim is an alloy wheel..? what are the accessories / mods planned ? have you thought of a tyre and rim upgrade to either 15" / 16" or 17" wheels..? i saw a silky silver with 17" rims in chrome and it looked mind blowing!
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 08:28	#9
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Congrats on the new buy. What colour. Really liked the look of the car in a few of their new colours. During my short test drive i also felt a little uncomfortable with the placement of the clutch/brake/accelerator. Both of us who did the TD were having an aching ankle. Not sure why this happened. We also felt that the clutch was tight for a maruti (we both drive fiats and you know how hard its clutch is ) As you said, the engine is a gem. Its not like any of the earlier maruti engines. I'll say its a big leap forward. Enjoy the car. Drive safe.
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 13:12	#10
shreeps BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 271 Thanked: 20 Times	Guys, thanks a lot for your wishes. @balajird: Havent sat in the rear for too long but it definitely is a bit stiff and bouncy. But width wise its pretty good. 3 ladies were able to sit comfortable (and none of them was the thin kind ) @inferno: No rattling yet but its still early days. It does feel more solidly built than my earlier Wagon R though. @cartech: I sure hope the reverse gear becomes better after first servicing. Did you feel any issues with the clutch? @Sunilrj: yes it is an alloy wheel. Not planning for too many accessories or mods since the car will be primarily driven by my dad. So I won't increase the tyre size. I just changed the brand from JK to michelins. Just the usual sunfilm and seat covers. I may go in for reverse sensor and/or camera since there are a lot of kids in our colony and my dad's scared that someone will get run over. Due to the high rear window its difficult to see anything below a certain height. @gemithomas: Thats a good point you brought up. I too felt the clutch to be a little hard compared to my Wagon R. Also missing is a dead pedal. That would have really helped. As promised, here are some pics Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 14:37	#11
balajird BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 460 Thanked: 63 Times	Thanks for the pics Shree, the car looks cool, please be careful while opening the rear doors as the door design is a bit awkward and you might get hurt in your face. Kindly check the other RITZ threads where this was discussed. one of our fellow member even reported a chipped tooth due to this. :(
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 14:51	#12
rkbharat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gurgaon/New Delhi Posts: 1,601 Thanked: 724 Times View My Garage	Looks futuristic, and beautiful in Silky Silver.
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 14:59	#13
SAHIR.KITTUR BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Belgaum / Doha Posts: 298 Thanked: 113 Times View My Garage	The spare alloy looks to be damaged,or am I seeing something. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

11th August 2009, 15:03	#14
Gilead Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 2,142 Thanked: 60 Times	Shreeps, congrats!@ Nice looking car. How much did you pay for the Michelins and how much did you get for the stock tyres?
	() Thanks