My core problem is that though I can afford a new one, I am not able to draw myself to splurge 2 to 3 million rupees on a new car.

BHPian PNTLovesNano recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi to all the SUV/MUV lovers, I need sound and thorough advice.

As my signature says, I have had owned three cars Maruti Alto (2011, sold after 90K kms), Tata Nano (2014, light use, secondary car), and Hyundai Grand i10 (2019, current primary car). For a long time, since 2008 at least, I wanted to own a seven seater.

Recently, I went to Maruti, Kia, and Mahindra showrooms to check out the seven seaters. Kia Carens costs 18L, Scorpio 17-21L, and XL6 15L. All have their own strengths and weakness. However, I was mightily disappointed with Scorpio's 3rd row. I don't think I can put even a 10 year kid on a 300kms drive. From June onwards, I will require a powerhouse. Monthly twice I will be doing Bangalore-Sandur, and once every second month Bangalore-Tirupati, and once every quarter Bangalore-Mantralaya.

After having done the above trips multiple times in each of my three cars, yes including the puny Nano, I want to now go for the bigger machines. However, the only problem is Vitamin M, aka money. The prices of cars have gone through the moon and the new ones are outrageously expensive. My core problem is that though I can afford a new one, I am not able to draw myself to splurge 2 to 3 million rupees on a new car. Hence, I was thinking about a used Innova.

A used Innova Crysta is again prohibitively expensive in Bangalore. A 2016/17 1L kms on odo costs 15-18L. I can as well go for a new one instead of used Crysta. Alternatively, I feel XL6 is a better buy than the pricey used Crysta. This overall cost-cutting took my practicality elsewhere. I think about XL6, Carens, and Crysta, only Crysta is the safest.

My question to the MUV world is:

• Is a ten year old Innova worth the trouble? Will Toyota's bullet proof reliability see me over the next 15 years?
• Is plonking 25L over Crysta (base model, I know :() worth the bucks?
• Which used cars six/seven seaters worth looking at? Honda BR-W, Mahindra Xylo, Mahindra XUV500, or something else?
• Is a monthly run of 3K good for a six-seven seater?
• Any other advice that I need to look out for?

Here's what BHPian manofinfinity had to say on the matter:

10-year-old Innova would not be a problem if the previous owner maintained it properly, heck even today we see pristine condition qualis which are 20 years old and running fine.

Buying a new Innova for 25 is any day better than buying a used one for 15 lakhs with over 1 lakh km on the Odo.

I think innova would be the perfect and ideal choice, the others you mentioned are not full-size three-row mpv except Carens.

I would suggest finding a used crysta under 15 lakhs with low mileage in the GX AT variant, anything above 15 is too much in the case of used Innova Crysta.

Here's what BHPian Sanidhya mukund had to say on the matter:

As someone who owns an Ertiga VXI CNG 2021, a 2024 Innova Hycross ZX (o) and regularly uses a 2021 Innova Crysta GX 2.4 BS6, I would strongly suggest one thing: If you can afford a new Innova, you should not even think about the XL6. The ride quality, high speed stability, comfort levels, durability and sure-footedness and confidence of an Innova over long distances simply blows cars like the XL6 and Ertiga away.

XL6 and Ertiga are decent city cars. Think of them as a larger Swift that just happens to have 3 rows of seats. But for long highway drives with family? They simply do not feel confidence inspiring. Also do consider the MG Hector Plus and the XUV700. You could get their mid-spec models for the same price as an entry level Innova. For someone who desires features, tech and modernity without breaking the bank, they make a decent case for themselves. The XUV700 comes with strong engines as well.

Here's what BH{ian JediKnight had to say on the matter:

Consider the Mahindra Marazzo. Super comfortable and refined. Try to get a used Bs-4 M8 if possible.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

This time I decided to go to Maruti Suzuki Arena instead of Nexa to get my car serviced.

BHPian procrj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

30K km service update

Since the car had run 10K km since the last service, planned to get 30K km service done even though the odo is a few kms short of 29K. Decided to get the same at Arena and not at Nexa, hence called Arena service and confirmed that they have 0W16 oil in stock.

Reached there at 9.40 am and the intake bay was chock-blocked with cars. Spoke to the SA and asked him to fast-track service and take the car straight to the bay, or else I was driving to Nexa. The manager of the unit was walking by and heard me, he immediately got things rolling and work started while the job card was being created. Took about an hour to replace oil, filter, inspect and clean brakes, top up fluids, run a diagnostic scan. Final bill was Rs 5.2K of which Rs 521 was knocked off as reward points redemption and the net cost was Rs 4750.

Front brake pads look good for another 15K kms, but observed some uneven wear on the rear tyres. These were recently moved from the front to rear and I'm assuming that after another 10K kms, the set of tyres in the front will also start showing similar wear. I was hoping that the tyres would last 50K kms but that seems a little far-fetched. Looks like I will have to start saving up for a tyre change in early 2025.

During the road test, the service advisor was surprised by the throttle response and he said "pickup ide saar (car has good pickup)" 3 times during the short drive. I had removed evc display before heading to the service center but the setting was still at U3.

Having driven about ~1300kms after getting evc, I must say that I am really enjoying the drive now. Before, there was always a worm in my head about moving back to a diesel. With evc in U3/U4 mode, which has kind of become my default driving mode for both city and highways, I do feel like I am driving a car that’s almost a diesel. Good throttle response and torque availability make it so much easier to drive. Added bonus is the increase in F.E. that evc is able to deliver - Approx 10% increase in city conditions and slightly more during highway driving. Will compile more data with time and post separately on the throttle controller thread.

Got the car washed and spent a couple of hours wiping down, claying and then coating it with Optimum Optiseal. It had been a while since the car received some TLC and its very satisfying to see the end result.

There are a lot of micro scratches on most panels, a couple of big ones on the front and rear bumper, and paint spray on the roof + left side doors. These stand out when the car is clean and it's getting harder to ignore them. Will be reaching out to a few folks to check on costs for paint correction and maybe ceramic as well.

Few pics of the car from a short drive this morning.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With the current infrastructure of 25 and 30 Kw chargers, no matter how hard you optimise your trips, your charging time will always be greater than your break time.

BHPian nithiraj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As a first time EV owner, I always had the doubt of time gained during a Highway trip by speeding up versus time gained by charging less. I regularly take one trip from Madurai to Karaikal every week, which is about 275 KM one way. Out of the 275 km, about 185 km is on a 4-way NH and the remaining 90 Km is on a 2 lane State Highway. I am usually a relaxed driver and rarely cross 100 KMPH on the 4-way highway. In fact, the roads here are good enough for me to maintain a cruise control set speed of 95 KMPH most of the time. I did 3 trips to find out which strategy is better. (For the sake of uniformity, I am just considering the onward trip - Madurai to Karaikal)

Trip 1

Vehicle: Suzuki XL6 Petrol AT (4 Speed)

Set 95 kmph cruise control for most of my first 185 kms and did a relaxing 50-70 kmph speed for the remaining 90 KM

• Total Trip Time: 4hr 55 mins
• Coffee Break: 10 min
• Effective Travel Time: 4hr 45m

Trip 2

Vehicle: Tata Tiago EV LR

Being XT trim, My Tiago EV does not have cruise control. So maintained a speed of 90 to 95 kmph for the first 185 kms and a similar relaxing 50-70 kmph for the remaining 90 KM. I got an average of 130 Km/Wh and hence had to make 2 charging stops. One on the outskirts of Trichy and the other in Tanjore. Started the Trip with 100 % charge and ended the trip with 20% Charge. So charging time was well optimised and I don’t think I could have reduced the charging time. I toped up 60% charge in total.

• Total Trip Time: 5hr 44m
• Charging time: 54m (40 + 14)
• Effective Travel Time: 4hr 50m

Trip 3:

Vehicle: Tata Tiago EV LR

This time around maintained a speed of 75 to 80 kmph for the first 185 km and a strict 50-60 kmph for the next 90 km. The average electricity consumption was a remarkable 105 Km/Wh. This enabled me to skip one charging break and just did one charging in the outskirts of Trichy. In this trip too I started with 100% and Ended up with 21%. I topped up 38% in total.

• Total Trip Time: 5hr 32 mins
• Charging Time: 36 mins
• Effective Travel Time: 4hr 56m

Inference 1:

Time gained by speeding up is always sacrificed by charging the vehicle for more time. The efficiency of the vehicle (Km/Wh) takes a significant hit and with the current charging speeds (18 Kw/hr for Tiago EV) it is very easy to lose time.

Inference 2:

If I had a vehicle with a better range (Read Nexon EV LR) I could have easily made the trip without a charging stop and in the same time as my ICE vehicle. This is true because of my already relaxed driving style. Had I wanted to push the vehicle to 110Kmph or more even the Nexon EV would have needed a charging stop.

Inference 3:

With the current infrastructure of 25 and 30 Kw chargers, No matter how hard you optimise your trips, your charging time will always be greater than your break time. The only way the mass is going to enjoy EVs without a compromise is to increase charging speeds – Both Vehicle side and Charger side. Only if we can top up 100 km worth of charge in 10 mins, everyone is going to enjoy EVs on the highways with out complaining.

I am sure such a future is not far away until then I love my first EV – ”Tedha hai par mera hai”

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Already gave a fuel efficiency of 16.5 km/l (full AC) on the highway in the 1st month itself.

BHPian vbhath recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I owned a 9-year-old Ertiga Zxi (70k km) but towards the end of 2022, I was looking for a replacement. While I had absolutely no issues with the Ertiga I wanted to switch to an automatic and something which can be around for the next 10 years.

We had the following important requirements:

• Gear Type: Automatic but non DCT
• Seater: 7
• Fuel: Petrol
• Mileage: 20 km/l on highway
• Maintenance: Low maintenance cost
• Price: Under 20 L
• Safety: 5-Star Global NCAAP
• Driving style: Sedate. There is no fast acceleration. Highway speed - 90 to 110
• Occupancy: 80% of the time 3 in the car, 15% of the time 6 in the car, rest 5% 7 or 8 in the car

Features I was NOT looking for: ADAS, Sunroofs and IMT

Probably you are having a good laugh now as currently, no car exists in India which can fulfil all the above criteria. If you have an Ertiga, the options for an upgrade are quite limited unless you have tonnes of money. For a Salaried professional, a Car is not an asset but a one-time expense.

The options were Ertiga, Carens, XUV/Scorpio, Safari, Alcazar, Triber, Citreon. Thus started multiple rounds of elimination. (I would just like to apologize upfront if my comments end up offending any of the owners of the below respective cars.)

• Carens: This was ruled out as it had DCT which has heating issues in city traffic. Though the ride quality was smooth and had great features and an excellent 3rd row, I had to ditch it.
• XUV/Scorpio: Lots of horror stories on niggles on the newly delivered car. That coupled with the price and long waiting period, effectively eliminated this as well.
• Safari: Highly Impressed by the build. However, No petrol option. The price for the features I was looking for was on the higher side.
• Triber: Too small and not so powerful
• Alcazar: Cost was a barrier and so was the DCT gearbox. Also, 2nd and 3rd seat legroom is not great
• Citroen: Unknown in India. Not sure how long it would stick around in our country.
• Ertiga: Ticked all the boxes, except Safety. But then it would not be an upgrade right? Was not getting many additional features from my existing Ertiga.

It was then someone told me about the XL6 as an option. It was not on my original list as it was not a 7-seater. But since I had exhausted other options it was time to have a look at the XL6 Automatic

I turned to BIMAL NEXA on ORR Mahadevapura. A showroom visit and a TD later the decision was taken. Alpha Plus Automatic Celestial Blue it was. It was decently loaded and I felt that with 6 on board, it was more comfortable than a 7-seater due to the space in between the captain seats.

Also, captain seats provided more comfort than bench seats.

The delivery was prompt in just 3 weeks with very minimal follow-ups. A good discount was provided on the below accessories. Got a good value for my Ertiga and the transfer process was smooth.

1. Window Visors
2. Window and Door Chrome
3. All armrests were changed to match the dashboard styling
4. NEXA door sill guard illuminated,
5. Rat Mesh
6. Paint protection
7. Under chassis coating and PVC Mats.

I also fitted a DDPI Pro Dashcam. (front only)

Below is the feedback after 6 weeks and 1500 Kms.

Super Likes:

1. Smooth drive with very low NVH: A very sturdy feeling one gets probably due to the R16 wheels and cabin insulation. The passengers in captain seats felt as if they were riding a Volvo Club class bus.
2. The UV/IR windows: A real blessing. The difference can be felt and it makes the AC more effective.
3. Ventilated seats- I never wanted one. But after experiencing loved it. Very effective in hot conditions.
4. 360 camera: The 360 top view image can be tricky in low light conditions. What is more useful is the front and left side camera for tight parking.
5. Paddle Shifters- Easy to use and useful when you want to quickly accelerate from a toll booth or a traffic signal. The downshifts are used when you want to overtake and hence want to move down from 5/6 to gear 4.
6. Suzuki Connect: Handy features with almost no lag.
7. Looks: The DRL headlights and chiselled looks make the XL6 very attractive from the site front and sides. The rear look is average.

Likes:

1. Audio and Infotainment: No complaints, decent sound quality
2. Mileage: Already gave 16.5 (full AC) on the highway in the 1st month itself.
3. Cruise control- Works like a charm. Though in India we have limited usage of this feature.
4. Android Auto wireless connectivity: No issues whatsoever.
5. All-black leatherette interiors: Gives quite a premium look

What could have been better:

1. The plasticky dashboard, could have been made firmer and softer
2. The driver armrest could have been broader and longer.
3. On D mode, it should have shown the gear number on the Instrument Panel
4. The gear shift lever doesn’t have an illumination to show which gear I am on. (of course, with practice it is no longer required)
5. High rev sound on 1st and 2nd gears. To avoid this you have to accelerate slowly. Or if you want to get quickly off the blocks (like from a toll or a signal), use the paddle shifters to quickly move to 3rd gear.
6. Thud on polymax speed breaker- If you are alone in the car, you have to go slow over the polymax speed breakers, else you get an uncomfortable thud sound when the rear wheel crosses over. Normal tar speed breakers are comfortably crossed.
7. Cruise control (resume function): To be used carefully as it resumes to set speed quite fast.
8. Auto off/on feature: Irritating functionality. Every time needs to be switched off.
9. Number plate housing: Lot of noise after you close the boot window

Features which I would have liked to be included:

Auto-dimming IRVM, USB sockets instead of just power sockets, curtain airbags for the middle row, weight sensors for rear seats to avoid unnecessary buckling of seat belts and a slightly larger display area for the HU.\

Nice to have a feature which has been a bonus for me:

TPMS, interior lights to the cabin’s footwell area for both the driver and the front passenger, Shark Fin antenna and roof rails for that enhanced look, LED DRLs

The first long drive: Was itching to take out the car on the highway. Finally got the opportunity during the Christmas break when we drove down from Bangalore to Mangalore. Thoroughly enjoyed the smooth highway ride. The cruise was enjoyable but couldn’t hold for long due to the long weekend traffic, the curves and the up-and-down inclines of the road. Shiradi ghat was crossed with great ease as the steering is light. The automatic proved to be a boon especially as you enter into village areas. One hand can comfortably placed on the armrest while the left leg can be folded at will.

The family is loving it and happy with the decision we took. My trust in Suzuki continues as this is my 4th car from their stable.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The XL6's fuel efficiency remained at a respectable 12.2 km/l.

BHPian bhawik recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Well, buckle up, folks, because I'm about to take you on a 2-month, 2000 km journey with my trusty steed, the XL6 Zeta AT, affectionately known as "Slatey" for his dashing Slate Grey attire. The only accessories he sports are a handy reverse parking camera and floor mats, quite the minimalist.

We embarked on our journey together on 15th Oct '23, and our first month took us through the wilds of Bangalore's mixed traffic. Slatey, like a well-behaved horse, never galloped past 80 kph. We often navigated the infamous ORR, known for its traffic beast, and ventured through KR Puram, Hebbal, and Silk Board. Despite these tough terrains, Slatey's fuel efficiency remained at a respectable 12.2.

Upgrading from a manual Celerio to the automatic 'Slatey', felt like moving from a bicycle to an aeroplane. The quick acceleration and hill hold assist was like having my jet pack, although the turning radius was a bit like trying to turn a cruise ship on a dime. Ah, I missed my Celerio then! The paddle shifters, though, were a dream come true, especially when overtaking those slow-coach auto and pickups.

The seats were like a king's throne, even for a 6ft royal like myself, although the headrest could sometimes feel like a brick wall. The window controls were a throwback to cars from yesteryears, a quaint reminder of budgeting efforts. The captain seats in the second row were a hit with the family, making us feel like we were on a private jet.

The first service was smooth as silk, complete with home pickup and drop. The Suzuki Connect app was like a vigilant hawk, keeping an eye on Slatey's activities for any mischief by the driver. However, it has a blind spot in my basement parking since it cannot connect to the telematics.

The second month saw us cruising to Banerghatta Zoo and Mysore. Slatey proved his mettle on these expeditions. The engine's growl became more pronounced at 120kph, reminding me that this was a family car, not a racehorse. A reckless BMW and Audi duo whizzed by, almost driving me to the kerb, reminding me to not get too adventurous. So I piped down and the music kept me chirpy and energized till we reached Mysore.

The boot is about as spacious as a kangaroo's pouch, fitting just two mid-sized bags. But hey, who needs luggage when you've got a comfortable ride? Despite some cost-cutting corners, Slatey is a reliable companion. He's not a performance beast, but rather a reliable family wagon. So if you're looking for a vehicular Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way - Slatey might just be the car for you.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

After my questioning them that how on earth did he conclude without even inspecting the car, two folks come to check out the car in person.

BHPian Leoshashi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Not related to rusting in my car, touchwood, but here is a funny analysis MSIL folks did on my car. I had an issue with RH Taillight where the inner part has developed cracks way inside the assembly. Its NOT on the surface. Its visible only from some angles and under diffused lighting conditions like sunset.

Funnily enough, the TSM had developed an opinion even before inspecting the car in person that it is due to some random chemical application.

After my questioning them that how on earth did he conclude without even inspecting the car, two folks come to check out the car in person but they had developed the same opinion that it happened due to some random chemical application!

I still failed to understand how a crack can appear way inside the assembly and not on the surface of lens first. Given that they were ready to act like fools, and that I had already planned to upgrade to smoke lens Taillight from facelifted model, I decided not to pursue it.

And, I do have access to their checklist which clearly says that if such cracks appear inside and nothing can be seen on surface, it has to be replaced under warranty! Still they act like fools and give random excuses.

Truly it's not the same customer centric and quality focused MARUTI we once knew.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Fitting them on the car was a simple 20-minute DIY job. The best part is that everything is just plug-and-play with no wire cutting.

BHPian procrj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Fog lamps upgrade

After sitting on the fence for a year and reading up on all options, decided to upgrade fog lamps for better visibility. Valeo fog lamp housing was the default choice and I had zeroed in on the Blaupunkt 9X Pro, but feedback from Leoshashi ensured that I picked the newly launched Osram 50W 4200K LEDs.

Valeo costed 1.4K INR and Osrams were on a deal for 5.1K INR.

• Valeo link
• Osram link

Fitting the same was a simple 20 min DIY and the best part is that everything is plug and play, no wire cutting.

Some pics that clearly highlight the difference.

OEM vs Valeo + Osram

Let there be light

Now it's time to stretch my legs and test the fog lamps out in fog/rain.

Here is a video of the fog lamps in action.

There is a significant improvement in visibility with the fog lamps. In the video, the first 6 seconds are just the low beam, and after that, it's low beam + Osram fogs.

Definitely recommend the Osram 50W at Rs 5.1K price point.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Rejected the Ertiga & Carens, in favour of the XL6 MPV.

BHPian EnthDriver recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction:

We bought this XL6 Zeta MT (Nexa Blue) in mid-August and got it delivered by the end of August, It cost us 14.63 L (on-road) in Bengaluru. The car has completed 1000 KM and has gone through the first periodic service ( 1 month / 1000 km according to the manual). Before I continue with the review, here’s a disclaimer, I don’t drive yet as I am still 17 yrs, the observations other than driving have been compiled by me, and driving observations have been taken as input from my father. Here’s a small backstory, we used to have a 2017 Hyundai Xcent in starlight grey (AFAIK), it was the SX model with a 1.2 L kappa VTVT engine, while the Xcent was enough for our daily chores such as getting groceries, etc., and the actual problem we were facing were the space constraints in the car whenever our relatives came over to our house, which is why we embarked on a search for a suitable 6 or 7 seater car under 16 lakhs for our needs. The first car that was on our radar was Ertiga.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Pros:

• The amount of space it offers for under 15 lakhs on-road.
• Ingress and egress was easy
• Large rear windows didn’t make the interior look claustrophobic
• It’s a fuel-efficient car.

Cons:

• The car’s interior is literally a “sea of beige” inside, which did not get a vote from me.
• It has a taxi image, which didn’t make Ertiga very appealing
• The 15-inch wheels were too small.
• Quality of interior bits was sub-par for a car costing over 12 lakhs on-road.
• 4 airbags are less than what the competition is offering.

Next, on our radar was Kia Carens, which was an interesting candidate:

Pros:

• Plethora of options for the engine and the transmission like 1.4 petrol, 1.5 T-Gdi turbo, and the diesel engine.
• The quality of the materials is similar to Hyundai and it was top-notch among the cars in this segment.
• The safety features like 6 airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, ESP, hill hold assist, etc. in all variants.

Cons:

• The looks were not appealing for our family, it looked too bland and EV-like in the front, the rear looked fine, but it had a van-like appearance in the front overall, only the side profile was good and appealing to me. Hence, Carens was out of the race.
• The variant that we wanted, Prestige Plus was coming at 17 L on-road, which proved to be costly, so rejected it.

The third car was Maruti XL6

Pros:

• Looks much better than Eritga and has a butch appearance with an SUV-like stance to it.
• The 16-inch wheels were much better and the alloys had a better design.
• The suspension was better than Ertiga.
• Features like 360-degree cameras are useful for parking in tight spaces or bumper-to-bumper traffic.
• Rear captain seats were very comfortable ( became a thing for sweetening the deal )
• The rear AC was a separate module, not only a blower.
• The NVH was excellent, couldn’t even know the engine was switched on at first!

Cons:

• As said above for Ertiga, the quality of interiors was sub–par for a car costing over a million rupees.
• The K15C engine is strictly suitable for those who want a sedate driving experience and do not expect the engine to unleash its power on the highway.
• The armrest is small and basically unusable sometimes.
• The 3rd row seats are mostly suitable for people who are not over 5”7’ or 5”8’. I’m 5”5’ for the record and it was comfortable for me.

So the XL6 was the final contender and my father’s heart was set on it. Initially, we were going to book the Alpha variant for the number of goodies it offered, but we didn’t book the Alpha variant (as it was taking over 1 month for the delivery, as we needed the car within 15 days, as we had a house warming ceremony for our second house in the village and needed the car for bringing the things and dropping people. The SA had informed us that the zeta variant in Nexa blue was readily available in their stockyard in Tumkur and it would take at least 10 days for the delivery, we went ahead and paid the booking amount of 25k. The showroom was very slow in responses, especially for the test drive. Overall, the communication was poor and we had to push them for updates regarding the delivery. The delivery was delayed for some reason by 5 days. Fast forward, we got the delivery date, the only problem we had was insurance, as the showroom was charging high for it (33k), so we went ahead with Acko by paying 25,000 to avoid registration delay. The registration was done within 2 days and we were allotted the number, we had told them to deliver the car to our apartment because my father didn’t have enough time to go to the showroom due to work commitments.

Delivery day

The car was shining in the Nexa blue color as I got off the school bus and immediately after getting freshened up, I ran down to look at the car. My father was finishing the final paperwork and understanding the features of the car, meanwhile, I was excited and was looking all over the cabin checking for any abnormalities. I have to say, we didn’t do a PDI. I know it was a missed opportunity but I was occupied with exams and my father was occupied with work and nobody had thought. But, things were perfect, nothing was wrong, like the fitting of the rear camera (more on it later), and paint quality. We took it for a short spin with showroom people, my father was used to driving the car, right out of the gate, the only thing was he felt the brakes were a little on the late responsive side as the Xcent's brakes had a sharp bite. the sales advisor told us it was completely a normal thing and yes, it was a normal thing, my father got used to it in a couple of days.

Driving Observations:

• The engine is smooth and refined
• The power was enough to come out of its basement (obviously), don't know about ghats or hilly areas yet. yet.
• The 1st and 2nd gears were jerky, maybe because my father was used to the short gear ratio in Xcent and XL6 has long gear ratios ( Please clarify this).
• Smart hybrid kicks in for brake regeneration and gives torque assist when the secondary battery is fully charged
• The rear seats were damn comfortable.
• The camera quality was acceptable and guide lines were appearing properly. The zeta variant doesn't come with a reverse camera by default, it has to be fitted as an accessory
• The mileage we were getting was 15 to 18 km/l on highway and 10 to 13 km/l in traffic
• The suspension absorbs minor bumps and overall it's on the stiffer side, which makes the car very planted on the highways
• The steering is light and similar to our Xcent
• We had made up our mind that the interior quality wouldn't be near as good as the Xcent was.

The accessories opted for were:

• Number plate garnish
• Window beading
• Carpets
• Rear spoiler
• Reverse camera

About the Xcent, we sold it through cars24 for 4.50L as they were the only ones who were offering a good price for our car, it was nearly used for 6 years, clocking in 25k KM on the ODO.

Recently, we gave it for 1st periodic service after clocking in 1000 km, the service advisor was kind and we were getting updates hourly, the only complaint we had was that the Suzuki Connect working irregularly, which was resolved and the total bill came out to be 1300 rs as we opted for the rat mesh which cost Rs 1300. The pick and drop was on time. The car is smoother now and feels better after much-needed interior cleaning.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Smart hybrid kicks in for brake regeneration and gives torque assist when the secondary battery is fully charged.

BHPian EnthDriver recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction:

We bought this XL6 zeta MT (Nexa blue) in mid of august and got it delivered by the end of the August, It costed us 14.63 L (on-road) in Bengaluru. The car has completed 1000 KM and has gone through the first periodic service (1 month / 1000 KM according to the manual). Before I continue with the review, here’s a disclaimer, I don’t drive yet as I am still 17 yrs, the observations other than driving have been compiled by me and driving observations have been taken as input from my father. Here’s a small backstory, we used to have a 2017 Hyundai Xcent in starlight grey (AFAIK), it was the SX model with 1.2 L kappa VTVT engine, while Xcent was enough for our daily chores such as getting groceries etc., the actual problem we were facing were the space constraints in the car whenever our relatives came over to our house, which is why we embarked on a search for a suitable 6 or 7 seater car under 16 lakhs for our needs. The first car that was in our radar was Ertiga.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga:

Pros:

• The amount of space it offers for under 15 lakhs on road.
• Ingress and egress was easy
• Large rear windows didn’t make the interior look claustrophobic
• It’s a fuel efficient car.

Cons:

• The car’s interior is literally a “sea of beige” inside, which did not get vote from me.
• It has a taxi image, which didn’t make Ertiga much appealing
• The 15 inch wheels were too small.
• Quality of interior bits was sub-par for a car costing over 12 lakhs on road.
• 4 airbags is less than what the competition is offering.

Next, on our radar was Kia Carens, which was a interesting candidate :

Pros:

• Plethora of options for the engine and the transmission like 1.4 petrol, 1.5 T-Gdi turbo and the diesel engine.
• The quality of the materials is similar to Hyundai and it was top notch among the cars in this segment.
• The safety features like 6 airbags, all wheel disc brakes, ESP, hill hold assist etc. in all variants.

Cons:

• The looks were not appealing for our family, it looked too bland and EV-like in the front, the rear looked fine, it had a van-like appearance in the front overall, only the side profile was good and appealing to me. Hence, Carens was out of the race.

The third car was Maruti XL6:

Pros:

• Looks much better than Eritga and has a butch appearance with a SUV-like stance to it.
• The 16 inch wheels were much better and the alloys had a better design.
• The suspension was better than Ertiga.
• Features like 360 degree camera are useful for parking in tight spaces or bumper to bumper traffic.
• Rear captain seats were very comfortable ( became a thing for sweetening the deal )
• The rear AC was a separate module, not only a blower.
• The NVH was excellent, couldn’t even know the engine was switched on at first!

Cons:

• As said above for Ertiga, the quality of interiors was sub – par for a car costing over a million rupees.
• The K15C engine is a strictly suitable for those who want sedate driving experience and not expecting the engine to unleash its power on the highway.
• The armrest is small and basically unusable sometimes.
• The 3rd row seats are mostly suitable for people who are not over 5”7’ or 5”8’. I’m 5”5’ for the record and it was comfortable for me.

So the XL6 was the final contender and my father’s heart was set on it. Initially we were going to book the Alpha variant for the amount of goodies its offering, but we didn’t book the alpha variant(as it was taking over 1 month for the delivery , as we needed the car within 15 days, as we had a house warming ceremony for our second house in the village and needed the car for bringing the things and dropping people. The SA had informed us that the zeta variant in Nexa blue was readily available in their stockyard in Tumkur and it would take at least 10 days for the delivery, we went ahead and paid the booking amount of 25k. The showroom was very slow in responses especially for the test drive. Overall, the communication was poor and we had to push them for the updates regarding the delivery. The delivery was delayed for some reason by 5 days. Fast forward, we got the delivery date, only problem we had was insurance, as the showroom was charging high for it (33k), so we went ahead with Acko by paying 25,000 to avoid registration delay. The registration was done within 2 days and we were allotted the number, we had told them to deliver the car to our apartment because my father didn’t have enough time for going to the showroom due to work commitments.

On the delivery day:

The car was shining in the Nexa blue colour as I got down the school bus and immediately after getting freshen up, I ran down to look at the car. My father was finishing the final paperwork and understanding the features of the car, meanwhile I was excited and was looking all over the cabin checking for any abnormalities. I have to say , we didn’t do a PDI . I know it was a missed opportunity but i was occupied with exams and my father was occupied with work and nobody had the thought. But, things were perfect, nothing was wrong, like the fitting of the rear camera (more on it later), paint quality. We took it for a short spin with showroom people, my father was used to driving the car, right out of the gate, only thing was he felt the brakes were a little on the late responsive side as the Xcent's brakes had a sharp bite. the sales advisor told us its completely a normal thing and yes, it was a normal thing, my father got used to it in a couple of days.

Driving Observations:

• The engine is smooth and refined
• The power was enough to come out of it basement (obviously), don't know about ghats or hilly areas yet. yet.
• The 1st and 2nd gear were jerky, maybe because my father was used to the short gear ratio in Xcent and XL6 has long gear ratios ( Please clarify on this).
• Smart hybrid kicks in for brake regeneration and gives torque assist when the secondary battery is fully charged.
• Rear seats were damn comfortable.
• The camera quality was acceptable and guide lines were appearing properly. The Zeta variant doesn't come with a reverse camera by default, it has to be fitted as an accessory
• The mileage we were getting was 15 to 18 KMPL on highway and 10 to 13 KMPL in traffic
• The suspension absorbs minor bumps and overall its on a stiffer side, which makes the car to be very planted on the highways
• The steering is light and similar to our Xcent
• We had made our mind that the interior quality won't be near as good as the Xcent was.

The accessories opted were:

• Number plate garnish

• Window beading
• Carpets
• Rear spoiler
• Reverse camera

About the Xcent, we sold it through Cars24 for 4.50 L as they were the only ones who were offering a good price for our car, it was nearly used for 6 years, clocking in 25k KM on the ODO.

Recently, we gave it for for 1st periodic service after clocking in 1000 KMs, the service advisor was kind and we were getting updates hourly, only complaint we had was on the Suzuki connect working irregularly, which was resolved and the total bill came out to be Rs. 1300 as we opted for the rat mesh which costed 1300. The pick and drop was on time. The car is smoother now and feels better after much needed interior cleaning.

Thanks for reading this long review if you have and sorry if my observations weren't spot on or descriptive enough.

Regards,

EnthDriver

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The service experience has been 11/10. With the Ertiga, I never really understood the hype around Maruti's service as it was always a 7/10 experience for me. Nexa seems to have really worked on customer experience.

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After finally swallowing the pill about the 10-year diesel ban from NGT, it was time to hunt for a new car. We started the hunt at the 8.5-year mark of Ertiga as we assumed the waiting periods to be no short of a year.

This shot from our Manali trip remains my favorite

The next question that followed was if we actually needed a 6/7-seater. You see, out of 93K mileage clocked, it would have been hardly some 10k KMs that the car had any row except the front row occupied. Given the skyrocketing prices and the fact that we would be shelling out almost double for another MPV now, it made us consider the 5 seaters too.

The requirements

• A comfortable 5 seater if not 7. While we were fine to compromise on an extra pair of seats, the car must be able to seat 5 people comfortably.
• Basic modern kit (Keyless entry, LED headlights, good HU, etc.). This requirement of course means top model.
• Automatic (Only a Torque Converter, DCT or CVT)
• Bulletproof reliability. I am a firm believer that if in the current age and time, a company can’t overcome random breakdowns (Jeep), transmission failures (VW), or alignment issues (Tata), it is really them taking the consumer for granted rather than their incapability to make a reliable product. There are many other companies and Maruti is no saint either, they are the worst as they take their consumer’s life for granted. Yet, I picked a Maruti. So, no real hate for any particular brand but just a view on the state of our market.
• Decent build quality. I had a restrictive budget and I was aware. Since the car will go around city rides 90% of the time, I was okay with a 3-star rating as a minimum.
• Convenience features such as a good camera system, folding ORVMs, Auto AC, steering mounted controls etc.)

Cars considered:

I would just like to apologize upfront if my comments end up offending any of the owners of the below respective cars. I truly feel a car can have all the things right but may still not excite one. The final decision should always flow from your heart otherwise you’re going to regret it. Go spend a few more lakhs and get that top model, the turbo petrol engine, or the car with a sunroof if your heart desires it.

I experienced this regret firsthand with this purchase. XL6 made all the sense, however, the moment I see an Innova Crysta, there is that feeling of regret for skipping this car over the Fuel Economy. I have covered more on this when I talk about Crysta below.

Tata Nexon

The showroom experience was strictly okay and nothing to write home about. Since the facelift (2nd iteration), I have much appreciated the well-rounded package it offers. However, in the 2 times I have checked out this car, quality issues really held me back. It was almost like the universe giving me signals to avoid it.

On my first visit, the digital instrument panel was glitching so much as to render it unusable.

On my second visit, the glovebox just won't close. While both issues are something that a quick visit to ASC can fix, seeing these in a display car and the showroom's negligence to ignore those shows the generic attitude of the brand. While the showroom could be privately owned, this forum has a lot of horror stories from TATA ASC and support to reinforce my reservations.

Beyond this, Nexon offered an AMT transmission which was a no-go for me. Had I been in the market in mid-2023, I would have held off my purchase just until the facelift came in. Kudos to Tata for efforts with the latest iteration.

Creta/Seltos:

With a strict budget of 20L, I was happy to consider the IMT/DCT versions of Seltos & Creta respectively. They offered an amazing kit along with absolutely bonkers interior quality. Kudos to the Brand twins for setting the benchmark in interior quality in every segment.

The downer for them was the lack of increase in seating comfort for 3 abreast in the back seat in proportion to the price increase. Our family idealizes Innova and cars alike so sparing 20L for a 4-seater was a bit of a brainer to us. Both brands for some reason try to blend in some sportiness in their cars. The rear seat is pretty scooped out in both these cars and hence makes the middle passenger feel unwelcomed.

Venue/Sonet

Same story with these cars. Sonet offered great VFM and quality all around (sparing the build of course). Again, this was strictly a 4-seater so a no-go for a family of 7.
Venue, with the 2022 facelift was no longer the same VFM it used to be. Still, I loved the Nardo Grey N line variants but with space management worse than some hatchbacks, was an instant disqualification.

Magnite/Kiger

The twins offer great value and make way for a new segment altogether. The fact that both companies even managed to squeeze in a 4-star crash rating at this price is a big and applaudable feat.

Unfortunately, that has taken a toll on the overall quality and drivetrain. Both cars may have a strong structure but feature really flimsy sheet panels. The drivetrain suffers too from the 3 potters on offer along with the CVT/AMT options. In my test ride of Magnite, the car was vibrating a lot at idle. The last nail in the coffin was cheap interiors. This reason was enough for the family to rule the car out.

MG Astor

This car was super hyped up and extremely promising on paper. Plenty of features, good build quality, stunning looks, and premium interiors. Disappointment knocks the moment you press the pedal to experience the "turbo" engine. Such a downer. Either they are lying about a whole missing turbo, it's the CVT characteristics or someone in the tuning department messed up.

Another downer that could not be compromised on is the lack of space in the rear bench. After everyone is done praising the beautiful red interiors and done playing with the Al robot, the middle seat leaves a bitter experience for the unfortunate who has to sit there. While almost all rear benches are best suited for 4 nowadays, Astor should be mentioned as a 4-seater on the RC card. The unnecessarily sculpted seats in exchange for a sporty feel are to be blamed here. This car had so much potential and a good spread of features in every variant. Sad to see the company didn't get the basics right. Oh and yes, the 360 camera units are straight out of a 2012 smartphone camera at best.

A note for sedans

While the rest of the world is axing off sedans and hatches, it is a very interesting time in India for this body type right now. The market has some very hot contenders (Read VW Vitus GT). The only reason we could not consider them is due to low seating. We already have nightmares from the egress and ingress from my brother's Fluidic Verna. With my aging parents, we were not very pleased to pick a suicide mission for knees by getting any of the sedans on offer.

Toyota Innova Crysta

What can I say about this car? There's no other car even a few segments above that does all things as beautifully as Innova. Power, reliability, safety, features, VFM, you name it. Yes, you read the last part right. Even though the prices have gone up unrealistically since its inception in 2016, it still puts the contenders to shame for what it offers.

The answer as to why we ditched it is that of a traditional Indian Buyer. We had a budget of 20L and could have stretched to 22L for the Petrol G Auto Variant OTR. Petrol and Auto are a deadly combination for a 2T MPV. The salesman was kind enough to point this out because we were smiling ear to ear with the idea of an Innova in the garage finally. He said "sir ye 6-8kmpl se zyada nahi degi city mein". While a shocker, it would have been true for our use case. When clubbed with the fact that my father's driving style had a diesel Ertiga return 11kmpl in city and 15kmpl on highway all its life, Innova would not have been a sensible purchase.

The MPV Dilemma

There are two types of buyers in this market. The first group is people who want a big car along with the brand and name value. They may have a small family and could use the extra space for luggage. This group is happy to check out the contenders and may even buy one of them as 3rd row seats will be rarely used by them.

2nd group consists of buyers with actual need for all the seats on offer. This group is either big families or fleet/taxi operators. I fall in this group and It is truly hard to understand how none of the cars till the 40L segment and maybe even above have not been able to figure out the 3rd-row seats except Innova, Carens, Ertiga/XL6 & and Carnival. So many options available to a new buyer but only 4 true 7-seaters? Bahut naainsaafi hai!

To the point above, now we were left with just 2 options – XL6 & Carens

Kia Carens

I was pretty excited for this car ever since the spy shots started rolling in. When it did launch, the excitement went down a little due to the minivan type of looks from the front. However, the features, size, and powertrains on offer bumped it right on top again.

The showroom experience was good even though there were a lot of people walking in due to the new launch (Take notes Tata & Mahindra). The Blue colour under the spotlight gave out tones of purple and black and was the instant colour of choice. The interiors felt really premium and the touchscreen was super futuristic. Kia has hit it right with the seats in all three rows even though the seats are on a smaller side.

Unfortunately, that’s about it. The Turbo DCT, even though has 140 BHP on paper, fails to make you go wow. That is fine, to be honest, and is expected from a 7-seater. However, if one is not to use the power, why should I pick up the headache associated with Turbo and DCT transmission? The car is meant to go around the city and have heard plenty of “burning smell” reports in traffic from the DCT.

To make matters worse, owners reported how this powertrain struggled on hills. That is not acceptable for a powertrain with this much power and all modern tech.

Unfortunately, the issues don’t end there. The leaking AC tubing above 3rd row leading to the headliner being wet, and reports of headlamps fogging up in a month-old car made me question the development of the car.

Kia seems to have taken inputs from both Ertiga and Innova and incorporated what both cars excel at. Ertiga offers 7 seats at a budget which is targeted by Carens lower variants and Innova offers big size, reliability, and premium feel which is handled by Caren’s top model. The pricing is evident. While this was a smart approach, the development feels like a hurried one. Kia has good after-sales support and I was confident they would take feedback and attend to these issues. I was personally just not comfortable with making trips to ASC any other time than the regular service.

Maruti XL6

To my point earlier, families looking for 7-seaters in the 40L bracket don’t have a lot of options. Ertiga, while a good allrounder, comes with a taxi image, no real WOW features, and beige interiors that we were bored after owning Ertiga for 9 years.. The Facelifted XL6 fits right in for families like us who like the Ertiga but were going elsewhere due to all the reasons above.

When the last-gen XL6 was launched, it made everyone wonder why this car exists. With only a new facia, cladding, and black interiors as key differentiators compared to Ertiga, the car didn’t excite a lot of people, and sales speak likewise. I never even considered this car to be honest. Come 2022 and the launch of the facelift, the car made a lot of sense all of a sudden. It had a lot more to offer.

It was well differentiated in terms of looks. The puny tires were taken care of, the rear looks much better and 2022ish with those smoked taillamps, the ride height was just a tad bit more and gave it the perfect stance, gloss black B/C pillars, machined 16inch alloys, and the list continues.

The comfort and convenience went considerably up too with ventilated seats, 360-degree camera system, all-black leatherette interiors, UV cut glass all around, and updated HU with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto being key factors to lure one in.

Another major upgrade was the introduction of the Aisin-sourced 6-speed AT unit. Torque convertors are rare these days and I am glad Maruti picked this. The test drive was impressive and AT was as smooth as it should be. While no DCT, the shift speeds were comfortable in Auto mode and fast enough in manual mode. Paddle shifters were a welcome feature too. Contrary to my belief, the lack of power from the engine ensures you’ll be using these. Will cover more on this later.

Delivery day

The waiting period was surprisingly low and we got the car in October after booking it in August end. We picked the auspicious day of Dusshera. Even though the staff had commitments for their respective plans, they were accommodating enough and delivered the car at 5 PM.

Still miss the clean and well-rounded design of the original Ertiga

We picked up 3D mats, a Chrome belt for window lining, and sun visors. One accessory that has my heart is the faux trim similar to the one on the dashboard for all armrests. However, this costs 8k which I found to be a tad too much and hence skipped it.

The overall experience was leaps and bounds ahead of the time we took delivery of our Ertiga. This was partly due to Nexa and partly due to a change of Dealership.

Ownership experience

The car has done about 10K KMs and the ownership experience has been well, not so Maruti-like. That there should be seen as a compliment. Let me go over all categories to explain better:

Looks

While XL6 is no head-turner, it isn’t boring-looking either. The elegant front, sleek sides, and sporty rear come together to deliver a pleasant experience for the eyes. XL6 tries to do a lot of things with different elements all around yet stays away from the boundary of being quirky-looking.

Best angle to look at it IMO

The headlamps offer a good throw and I love the quad cluster design. While miles away, reminds me somewhat of the quad barrel setup in Bugatti Chiron.

The taillamps look super cool. The smoked treatment brings them in line with the trend.

The side profile is clean and I am glad the facelift addressed the puny-looking tires. The 16-inch, Diamond cut alloys have a neat design.

Glossy B/C pillars

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