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2 years & 26,000 km with my Maruti XL6: Likes, Dislikes & changes made

The best 1.5 NA if you ask me, the pep, efficiency, ease of driving and refinement is simply unmatched.

BHPian Leoshashi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Update: The XL turns 2! It came to us on 14th July but was billed on 13th Evening. Unfortunately, I'm not at home and thus couldn't take it on a drive or celebrate it in my style with cakes and all.

Odo at the moment:

My likes and dislikes from last year, updates mentioned in bold:

Likes:

  • Engine and Gearbox: The best 1.5 NA if you ask me, the pep, efficiency, ease of driving and refinement is simply unmatched. The gearbox is as slick as any Japanese unit. There were some vibes and notchiness when the car was new, now everything has fallen into place. After driving the new K15C, I've fallen in love with the K15B even more, despite it not being so efficient.
  • Space: Need I say anything more? Being monocoque, even the rear seats are usable. The only issue for the last row is its ingress/egress.
  • Practicality: It’s a well-thought-out car with provisions for almost everything. Well, it's an MPV trait.
  • Driving dynamics despite being an MPV among the very best. The updated suspension setup is Epic! Love the ride now, a huge improvement compared to the old setup, without sacrificing stability.

Features I love:

  • LED lights all around, had some issues with focus earlier, but solved it to satisfaction. It continues to struggle in fog though. For that, I intend to use a pair of good old halogen fogs with some quality yellow bulbs, which will be plugged and played with whenever needed. Happy with the Valeo+Philips setup I have now
  • The comfortable captain seats and well-sorted ride: My parents absolutely love it. Mom has now done non-stop 14-hour drives without any discomfort!
  • AC performance: The rear AC is there for a purpose and when used, the AC is sufficient for all. I was scared about summers but it lived up to its reputation. Need to get the UV cut glasses from XL6 2022 soon to improve it even further.
  • Smartplay HU: Has enough features to keep me happy. The rear camera is a real boon!
  • Auto Folding ORVMs. I realized its usefulness when we got the S-Cross which lacks this feature.
  • The Ugly claddings: Never thought I’d say this, but they are extremely sturdy and pragmatic for our conditions. Has saved the body umpteen times from nasty hits.
  • Bottle holders at the front with cooling function: They are immensely useful over long drives.
  • Cruise Control: Enough said! Drinks fuel like crazy though at higher speeds.
  • The Under boot storage: Very practical to keep regular supplies. I use it to keep Umbrellas, an Emergency kit which consists of a Tow Strap, Jumper cable and Tubeless tire repair kit, Battery Jump starter and body cover neatly.

Smart Hybrid System: Gives enough boost at part throttle, and till now its start-stop system has never proven to be a nuisance in daily use. The recall, which resulted in a new MGU and software update has immensely helped with mileage and boost time.

It’s hard to list out all the small positives, so I’ve mentioned the top ones, and will now go for the top things I hate about this car:

Dislikes:

  • Absolutely third-grade dashboard integration: Rattled at the slightest provocation. Had to do major surgery and fix all of them. Else I was so badly frustrated with it that I was planning to cut my losses, sell it and get a base model Crysta! Touchwood, the butyl fix is working great.
  • Lack of features: Agreed it’s 90% of the Crysta at 50% of the money and there is no direct competition, but it wouldn’t have hurt Maruti to give it some must-have features. I badly missed features like Auto Dimming IRVM, Footwell lamps, UV cut glasses etc which it’s a cheaper sibling than the Baleno gets. I expect Maruti to give it at least UV cut glasses on this MPV with the facelift since it has a huge glass area. Have added all these features, and UV cut is coming soon.
  • Looks: The stock look with tiny wheels looks absolutely horrible. While looks wise I’d have loved to get 16 inches of the XL7, the practical guy in me suggests that currently, I’m on the best possible tyre combo-195/65R15. Also Before I forget, those black-painted wheels are downright crappy. It’s a scratch magnet and the design is too hard to clean properly! Fixed!
  • Engine should get an Engine cover. I like to keep my engines clean and this K15 is notorious for water getting inside the spark plug holes if pressure is used.
  • Thin window panels: They let in a lot of outside noise inside. Also, stock sound insulation is nothing to brag about. About to get fixed with upcoming UV cut glasses.
  • Not many options in MGA except the chrome crap.
  • Lack of rear fog lamps
  • Stock key fob design, looks too mundane and is a scratch magnet too. Would have preferred the old oval fob.

Changes made / features added over the stock XL6:

  1. Complete soundproofing is done, Not the regular damping. Unfortunately lost most pics due to a corrupted SD card. Still have recovered some and a detailed post is coming soon. Has made a huge difference to the inside cabin comfort.
  2. Upgraded to Michelin XM2 195/65R15 on D-day itself. One of the best things to happen to this car. I Hope Michelin sorts out its supply issues by the time the current set wears out.
  3. 5th Wheel is now an alloy
  4. Engine isn’t exposed now from underneath, gets a nice flush fitting engine guard.
  5. Ceramic Coated, DIY. Durability is good even after a year.
  6. Upgraded to MGA PM 2.5 Cabin Filter
  7. Installed Solar powered TPMS by Manatec
  8. Dead pedal Footrest rubber installed
  9. Runs on OEM Iridium Plugs now
  10. Installed Footwell lamps
  11. Installed Auto-Dimming IRVM
  12. Hella Trumpet Horns
  13. Comprehensive sound insulation
  14. Fog light changed to Valeo+Philips combo
  15. Rear reflector LED
  16. 16" wheels and suspension of new XL6

Warranty claims:

  • Boot struts, RH and LH
  • Driver side seat for excessive play
  • RH chrome bar of the grill for peeling chrome finish.

Any current complaints: None

Signing off with a recent click on the Yamuna E-way:

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