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Why I think the 2022 Maruti XL6 should be my next upgrade

24th June 2022, 15:36 by Rahul Nagaraj

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I considered the Kia Carens and even the 5th-gen Honda City, but rejected both.

BHPian Miel recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am in the market for my next big upgrade and have been considering the new XL6 very closely. My biggest criteria are:

Petrol engine, preferably N.A. I don't want to be plagued with BS6 Diesel DPF issues.
Boot space! We need lots of it as my family and I are emotionally incapable of travelling light
Ground clearance. 180+ at the minimum. 'Coz this is India - i.e. Bad roads happen with the seasonal changes and local civic body changes!
An engine guard/underbody protection/skid plate of some kind. In the case of the XL6, we have Bhpian LeoShashi's famous mod (details here) to the rescue here.
Frugality, reliability, and long-term peace-of-mind ownership. I care more for practical usable features than neon-light gimmicks and "i-Pad inspired" interiors.

By now we have considered:

Kia Carens: Rejected as it is largely unproven. And most importantly, I just can't stomach the bug-eyed look of the car. Some people love it and I envy them 'coz the car is a performance champion over the XL6 in terms of the quicker acceleration, greater engine power, and a tad more spacious interiors than the XL6. Loved that one-touch rear-seat tumble action! But the car's face looks like a raccoon or a sloth, which is cute as a pet, but like a car, it makes me sick. Really no offence to the owners. If the Carens had the Seltos's face, I would have had it in my garage already!
Honda City Gen 5: Rejected solely 'coz it won't seat 5 in as much comfort as the XL6 or the Carens can. Otherwise, this is the N.A petrol to buy. Period! Wow, what a performer!!

Everything else is either not as spacious as the XL6 or over budget for me.

I have meanwhile taken several test drives of the XL6, and also of the previous-gen Ertiga and the current-gen Ciaz, often back to back. Yes, the latest XL6 is not as quick as the other two. It did feel 2-3 secs less eager than the other two Suzukis as the revs and speeds climbed. Yes, the XL6 will keep you busy with the gears, trying hard to find the perfect powerband when you are in Enthusiast mode. But, I personally feel I can live with it. I come from a Fiat Multijet-powered Vista, a D4-D Diesel-powered Toyota Etios, and an F10D-powered Wagon R.

Enough with my blah-blah. Here are some pics for all!

I parked the test drive car next to my neighbour's Duster to size the XL6 up! The XL6 is now an MPV which exudes serious amounts of SUV cred. This is the new darker "Nexa Blue" shade, called Celestial Blue.

A back-to-back size match? No?!

Loaded it up to see what can it can take. Those trolleys are one size smaller than the largest commonly available.

The orange trolley on the right can also be made to stand alongside the other, with all 6 seats up. The under-boot-floor space needs to be opened for this arrangement. The hatch closes without any issue.