Old XL6 owner's impressions of the new Maruti XL6 after 25km test drive

MPVs aren't supposed to win any beauty contests, but the new XL6 appears attractive.

BHPian Leoshashi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test Drove the 2022 XL6 for a good 25km:

Being a lazy Sunday, requested my RM for a TD if possible and he obliged. Took the car to Ring road via the busy city roads, and thus got to experience it in every driving condition.

What I loved

• Ventilated seats: The most effective ones I have experienced till now. Such a boon in our conditions. I wouldn't comment on longevity or ease of maintaining those perforated seats, but this feature is one which I loved the most. The last car I drove with ventilated seats was Seltos, and they appeared just a gimmick compared to the ones on XL6.
• NVH is vastly improved. Not sure if it's the glasses or rubber seals since the body and melt sheets are exactly the same as an older car. But you no longer get the feeling of having a window open. Damping/Sound insulation is no longer a necessity.
• Engine is supremely refined and muted: The famous K15B drone on accelerating is gone and people who disliked that sound, will be very happy with this new engine. When my XL6 was new, it had slight vibrations when the engine was revved, not so in this new car. More on the engine in the dislikes section.
• Looks good: MPVs aren't supposed to win any beauty contests, but the new XL6 appears attractive. The only thing I didn't like was the huge chrome grille. Everything else is a huge improvement. New 16 inch rims look rich.
• Ride quality: This is further improved over the older model. It no longer shivers when passed over road reflectors at city speeds.
• Sound quality is improved compared to older cars' stock audio.
• AC effectiveness is improved, thanks to new UV and IR cut glasses.
• Mileage: The car had 200 km on the odo but was easily managing 18kmpl within city limits whereas my XL6 struggles to give 16, despite being 21,000km old. This one will give killer mileage and will not let people miss the diesel.

What's mediocre

• 360-camera is a gimmick and not as useful as say the ones on Seltos or Civic. Pic quality and resolution leave a lot to be desired.

What's bad

• Engine: Huge huge disappointment compared to the K15B unit. Starting off the line, it seems more eager than an older engine but that's it. The pull vanishes and all you get is a muted response. Till 80kmph and within city limits, it's liveable. But someone who has driven the older engine will be thoroughly disappointed.
• The tune is heavily biased towards efficiency and it's evident. The engine is also far less eager to rev than what my K15B was at a similar odo (assuming the engine hasn't opened up). Tried revving in the first two gears, but the way it goes dead in the second is appalling. Tried going to 5000 rpm in third, and it genuinely felt like a waste of time.
• I also noticed that the boost time from SHVS is increased compared to mine, thanks to the increased capacity of the Li-Ion battery. But even with that boost, the engine response is disappointing. Whatever iota of a fun element the older car had, is entirely gone now.

Other points:

1. GC has surely increased, and there is a small step up now compared to older cars with stock wheels. Going by Indonesian spec, the GC should be 200mm now.

2. AUX port is gone from the top models

3. Alloys look sharp:

4. TPMS valve:

5. Jack has been changed compared to the older model:

6. Factory fitted spoiler has more mounting points than ones they sell from accessories which have only 2:

7. Nice to have Sharkfin Antenna:

8. Armrest portion is no longer hard plastic-like Older XL6, has a proper padded soft touch to it:

9. Puddle lamps/Courtesy lamps below front door pad:

In short, they have improved on everything, except the engine which is a disappointment now, if you have driven the old one extensively.

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