SX4 ZXi - Men are back ... (Once again)

marathp · 16th August 2009, 22:37

Many months of analysis, few test drives, dozens of hours of browsing on Team-BHP and feedback from TBHPians, I have finally settled down with SX4 ZXi

Background
I own a Santro which is 8+ years old now and started feeling less confident about it for my long drives to native in Kerala. Needed a car which is comfortable and safe in both city and highway

Requirements

Decent power
Good seating/ride comfort
Roomy interiors
Safety features like ABS (must) and Airbags(Optional)
My monthly average is around 700-800 KM max and hence Petrol is good enough

Short listing

Identified and test driven the following cars (All are petrol).

Disclaimer : All views are personal and no offence to any individual or company

Fiesta ZXi - This was the car I was eyeing even before I was actively looking for a car. Liked it very much, but disappointed with the lack of seating comfort, cramped space and lack of GC

Aveo - TDd sometime last year, nice interiors and an overall good package. Lack of support from dealer and GM's future was a put off

i20 - Excellent features, but doesn't feel like an upgrade. Moreover very underpowered

Linea - I still admire this car. But unfortunately due to the longer turning radius, parking in and taking out of my lot is a real pain. On top of it absolutely no support from the dealer

Verna - Didn't like the interiors, overall shape, not so good ride comfort, and not so good feedback on Petrol version in TBHP and pricey too

SX4 - Never considered one from Maruti stable till recently. But when drove, self and family fell for it. Wifey and kid really loved the rear seat, and I liked the high seating position and featuers available at that price proint. With 2009 model suspension is also improved. Good VFM

Dealer experience

I have contacted 2 maruti dealers (Pratham and Mandovi), both of them were almost prompt on bringing the vehicle for a test drive and explaining about the vehicle.They did timely follow ups as well. Due to more discounts and better pre-sales experience went with Pratham.

Maruti is way ahead of competition in providing a good sales support. Both of them were equally good with well mannered and courteous sales executives.

I should say that no other dealers were able to provide this level of pre-sale experience

Deal

Overall 50K discount + sun film + reverse sensor

Insurance - Maruti insurance was 3.5 K higher afer my 50% NCB compared to bajaj allianze, hence opted for it. I paid 10,750 after my NCB

Road Tax - Strange ways of Maruti dealers, all of them charge tax on ex-showroom price. Insisted that I will do the registration by myself, there will be a difference of 4 K (Dealer charges for registration) + 7 K (Road tax difference). Net savings of another 11 K as I am doing the registration by myself. Planning to do the same by this week.

Modifications

Received reverse sensors. Sun-film is yet to be done. I am planning to do the seat cover as well. Any suggestions are welcome on that. I am not looking for leather though.

Initial impressions

Completed 250 KM over last couple of days. Maintained speed around 80 KM/RPM below 2 K. Drive is really great. Especially after an upgrade from Santro.
Gear shift should have been better, not very smooth, reverse gear also needs improvement. Suspension is improved a lot compared to older one. I drove a mix of city and short highway, mileage seems to be good around 11 - 12. Yet to do the tank full method.

Thats for now, attaching a picture.

rageshgr · 16th August 2009, 22:52

Congrats dude, upgrade from Santro (presumably 1st generation) to SX4 might have been great.

About the i20. did u test drive the 1.4 100 BHP version as well? did u find that underpowered too?

PatienceWins · 16th August 2009, 22:55

Congrats!!

I like SX4 for its looks and high seating position. I am 6' 2" and loved the high driving position with excellent under thigh support. The ground clearance is very useful in our roads.

marathp · 17th August 2009, 09:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by rageshgr

Congrats dude, upgrade from Santro (presumably 1st generation) to SX4 might have been great.

About the i20. did u test drive the 1.4 100 BHP version as well? did u find that underpowered too?

Nope.. I didn't test drive 1.4. I guess it is AT and price is beyond my limit. Moreover, as I mentioned, i20 doesn't feel like an upgrade

Hrishiz · 17th August 2009, 10:04

Congrats! Safe motoring!

Try to drive during non-peak hours especially if you are not using Ringroads of Bangallore. This should help you in initial run-in and would also keep the beauty untouched!

All the best.

shankar.balan · 17th August 2009, 10:09

god bless.
have a great time with your ZXi SX4
lovely car - no doubt about that. Also, outstanding value given the current prices of competition!

nurni76 · 17th August 2009, 10:34

Congrats on a fantastic purchase. Welcome to Club SX4. The silver colour looks very nice. What was your final On road price after the discounts?

beejay · 17th August 2009, 10:37

Happy car. The short crisp review of the cars you have mentioned are quite transparent and real.

marathp · 17th August 2009, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by nurni76

Congrats on a fantastic purchase. Welcome to Club SX4. The silver colour looks very nice. What was your final On road price after the discounts?

I am yet to do the registration and hence don't have the exact road tax. As per my calculation, OTR will be around 7.9 - 8.0

benbsb29 · 17th August 2009, 10:51

I quite assumed you would settle for the Fiesta, going by what you were asking around.

The SX4 is a sensible choice, and the ZXi is surely worth it. I had recommended the SX4 ZXi to my friend as well when he was looking out for a car, and he's quite pleased with it. If anything, the mileage is the only cause of concern at times.

rageshgr · 17th August 2009, 10:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by marathp

Nope.. I didn't test drive 1.4. I guess it is AT and price is beyond my limit. Moreover, as I mentioned, i20 doesn't feel like an upgrade

Ya SX4 is pretty good VFM! and it is sedan, the image is there!

marathp · 17th August 2009, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I quite assumed you would settle for the Fiesta, going by what you were asking around.

My choice was between Fiesta and Linea and dangling between those for quite some time. Never thought of buying SX4 till recently. I guess good attitude of sales person influenced to a great extent along with the VFM factor in SX4s favour

aaggoswami · 17th August 2009, 11:18

Congratulations!
I am now spotting more and more SX4 in my city, may be the poor roads are prompting people to buy car with higher GC.
That said, SX4 has its own positives like sturdy suspension and high GC + high seating position.

You have mentioned that it is 2009 model and hence suspension is improved. Is there any change made in the suspension for 2009 ? In short was the SX4 updated recently ?
This car needs dual headlamp set up like in Corolla, separate bulbs for both high beam and low beam. The stock are not that good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rageshgr

About the i20. did u test drive the 1.4 100 BHP version as well? did u find that underpowered too?

This comes only in AT which might put off many prospective buyers. This is biggest limitation of I20 1.4 petrol. If hyundai launches this with MT, then I am sure punto petrol sales will be affected along with Jazz.

nilanjanray · 17th August 2009, 13:40

Congratulations! I bought a black Sx4 Zxi from Pratham on Aug 7, and am enjoying the run-in period. Suggest that you do a few drives on NICE road, Sarjapur Road etc. - it is a pain driving in Bangalore traffic.

I have done ~ 675 km, and am getting 10-11 km with 100% AC. I make it a point to rev the engine till 2.5K before each gear shift, and have also done semi-offroading with the car (on the way to Galibore fishing camp), so perhaps the fule efficiency will improve with time.

I have opted for Karlsson leather seats (getting them today). I think Karlsson also does non-leather stuff. I will ask Sajith and send you his number if you are interested.

gemithomas · 17th August 2009, 14:02

Great Choice. Did not really understand the part of the tax on ex-showroom (how else is it to be done) and the road tax(are they charging you more than you really have to pay?)

Please elaborate. THink it would help all new car buyers in spotting if things are being done this way.

16th August 2009, 22:37	#1
marathp BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 138 Thanked: 35 Times	SX4 ZXi - Men are back ... (Once again) Many months of analysis, few test drives, dozens of hours of browsing on Team-BHP and feedback from TBHPians, I have finally settled down with SX4 ZXi Background I own a Santro which is 8+ years old now and started feeling less confident about it for my long drives to native in Kerala. Needed a car which is comfortable and safe in both city and highway Requirements Decent power Good seating/ride comfort Roomy interiors Safety features like ABS (must) and Airbags(Optional) My monthly average is around 700-800 KM max and hence Petrol is good enough Short listing Identified and test driven the following cars (All are petrol). Disclaimer : All views are personal and no offence to any individual or company Fiesta ZXi - This was the car I was eyeing even before I was actively looking for a car. Liked it very much, but disappointed with the lack of seating comfort, cramped space and lack of GC Aveo - TDd sometime last year, nice interiors and an overall good package. Lack of support from dealer and GM's future was a put off i20 - Excellent features, but doesn't feel like an upgrade. Moreover very underpowered Linea - I still admire this car. But unfortunately due to the longer turning radius, parking in and taking out of my lot is a real pain. On top of it absolutely no support from the dealer Verna - Didn't like the interiors, overall shape, not so good ride comfort, and not so good feedback on Petrol version in TBHP and pricey too SX4 - Never considered one from Maruti stable till recently. But when drove, self and family fell for it. Wifey and kid really loved the rear seat, and I liked the high seating position and featuers available at that price proint. With 2009 model suspension is also improved. Good VFM Dealer experience I have contacted 2 maruti dealers (Pratham and Mandovi), both of them were almost prompt on bringing the vehicle for a test drive and explaining about the vehicle.They did timely follow ups as well. Due to more discounts and better pre-sales experience went with Pratham. Maruti is way ahead of competition in providing a good sales support. Both of them were equally good with well mannered and courteous sales executives. I should say that no other dealers were able to provide this level of pre-sale experience Deal Overall 50K discount + sun film + reverse sensor Insurance - Maruti insurance was 3.5 K higher afer my 50% NCB compared to bajaj allianze, hence opted for it. I paid 10,750 after my NCB Road Tax - Strange ways of Maruti dealers, all of them charge tax on ex-showroom price. Insisted that I will do the registration by myself, there will be a difference of 4 K (Dealer charges for registration) + 7 K (Road tax difference). Net savings of another 11 K as I am doing the registration by myself. Planning to do the same by this week. Modifications Received reverse sensors. Sun-film is yet to be done. I am planning to do the seat cover as well. Any suggestions are welcome on that. I am not looking for leather though. Initial impressions Completed 250 KM over last couple of days. Maintained speed around 80 KM/RPM below 2 K. Drive is really great. Especially after an upgrade from Santro. Gear shift should have been better, not very smooth, reverse gear also needs improvement. Suspension is improved a lot compared to older one. I drove a mix of city and short highway, mileage seems to be good around 11 - 12. Yet to do the tank full method. Thats for now, attaching a picture. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

16th August 2009, 22:52	#2
rageshgr BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chennai/Vaikom Posts: 548 Thanked: 550 Times View My Garage	Congrats dude, upgrade from Santro (presumably 1st generation) to SX4 might have been great. About the i20. did u test drive the 1.4 100 BHP version as well? did u find that underpowered too?
	() Thanks

16th August 2009, 22:55	#3
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,416 Thanked: 807 Times View My Garage	Congrats!! I like SX4 for its looks and high seating position. I am 6' 2" and loved the high driving position with excellent under thigh support. The ground clearance is very useful in our roads.
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 10:04	#5
Hrishiz BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Kochi Posts: 72 Thanked: 28 Times	Congrats! Safe motoring! Try to drive during non-peak hours especially if you are not using Ringroads of Bangallore. This should help you in initial run-in and would also keep the beauty untouched! All the best.
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 10:09	#6
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,140 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	god bless. have a great time with your ZXi SX4 lovely car - no doubt about that. Also, outstanding value given the current prices of competition!
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 10:34	#7
nurni76 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: BLR/SEATTLE Posts: 907 Thanked: 360 Times View My Garage	Congrats on a fantastic purchase. Welcome to Club SX4. The silver colour looks very nice. What was your final On road price after the discounts?
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 10:37	#8
beejay Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: The Nilgiris Posts: 1,963 Thanked: 204 Times View My Garage	Happy car. The short crisp review of the cars you have mentioned are quite transparent and real.
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 10:51	#10
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,963 Thanked: 13,129 Times View My Garage	I quite assumed you would settle for the Fiesta, going by what you were asking around. The SX4 is a sensible choice, and the ZXi is surely worth it. I had recommended the SX4 ZXi to my friend as well when he was looking out for a car, and he's quite pleased with it. If anything, the mileage is the only cause of concern at times.
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 13:40	#14
nilanjanray Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,887 Thanked: 2,925 Times View My Garage	Congratulations! I bought a black Sx4 Zxi from Pratham on Aug 7, and am enjoying the run-in period. Suggest that you do a few drives on NICE road, Sarjapur Road etc. - it is a pain driving in Bangalore traffic. I have done ~ 675 km, and am getting 10-11 km with 100% AC. I make it a point to rev the engine till 2.5K before each gear shift, and have also done semi-offroading with the car (on the way to Galibore fishing camp), so perhaps the fule efficiency will improve with time. I have opted for Karlsson leather seats (getting them today). I think Karlsson also does non-leather stuff. I will ask Sajith and send you his number if you are interested. Last edited by nilanjanray : 17th August 2009 at 13:46.
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 14:02	#15
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Great Choice. Did not really understand the part of the tax on ex-showroom (how else is it to be done) and the road tax(are they charging you more than you really have to pay?) Please elaborate. THink it would help all new car buyers in spotting if things are being done this way.
	() Thanks

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