Maruti Suzuki SX4 VVT Road Tested

[Zinam]

• Car Tested : Maruti Suzuki SX4
• Variant: ZXi (Automatic)
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Launched On: 26th October 2009
• Price: Rs. 8,02,128 Lakhs (Ex. Showroom Delhi)
• Official Website: Click Here
• Press Release: Click Here
• TAI Member's Discussion : Click Here

ABOUT MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED :

Maruti Suzuki, The most familiar name to Indian Automobile Industry.
Way back in February 1981 Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) was established in collabration with the popular Japaneese carmaker - Suzuki.

Maruti Initially began the production of the little 800, The world's first cheapest car which we're sure about that every second person must have Driven or Owned.

On 17th September 2007, The Auto Market Leader Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) was renamed as Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) due to the Major Stake holds of Suzuki. Maruti earlier was much known for its small Value For Money Products but the times have now changed and carmaker is gradually trying to get hold of Upper Level Segment thats why they launched the all new muscular SX4 Sedan in India and now plans the International Class Kizashi by 2010.


THE NEW SX4:

Maruti Suzuki first introduced the new SX4 sedan to Indians in 2007 and recently on 26th October 2009 came up with an updated model which sports a Bharat Stage-4 VVT Engine to meet the Stricter Emission Norms which go on force in April next year. Also, MSIL has added an Automatic Transmission so that SX4 can survive in this growing competition which is getting tougher everyday with new Launches like of Fiat Linea, New Honda City etc.

Many people have been now willing to upgrade their cars from hatchbacks to Sedans and buyers of this segment usually end up in big confusion because the wide range of models available. The Automotive India Team decided to pick one of the model - The New SX4, To give out those buyers a Crystal Clear and transparent Road Test Report. Let's Check it out!

 

[Zinam]

EXTERIOR LOOKS, DESIGN & STYLING

The True Man of C-Segment cars is back. Yes and this time with some cosmetic changes. The updated SX4 has gone through a minor surgery and those changes are somewhat noticeable only at a close look.
From the front, New SX4 has recieved a little touch up by new Honey Comb design grill and the bumpers and headlamps remains unchanged.

Looking at the side profile, You should notice a small chrome "VVT" badge below the indicator which would keep you and others remiding that this is the refreshed BS-4 Model.

SX4 earlier used to come with big 5 Spoke Alloy Wheels which have been now replaced with the 10 Spokes. The Side skirting job may sometimes give you feel of driving a Rally version of car and special thanks to those wheel arches which bulges out from fenders to give added sportiness.

The Doors open wide enough but few of the panel gaps are pretty big and clearly visible from a distance which is not-so-good. The raked A-Pillar creates a blind spot resulting in obstruction of vision when sitting inside.

We expected few changes on the rear part but things remains same. The Big punny butt of SX4 makes task difficult to reverse the vehicle. Rear lamp features a European style single Reverse Lamp on Left which has become a fashion now a days. All space on tail lamps is already occupied so the reflectors finds their way right on the bumper. Open the 505 Litre boot and your 3-4 Year old kid's bicycle can easily sit in it.

Even if you're driving the Automatic Version, Others may not get to know because there is not even a single badge saying your SX4 is an Automatic! [Some show-off man!, Its pricey!!], Only a "ZXi" Badge says it all.

 

[Zinam]

INTERIORS LUXURY & COMFORT

Maruti SX4 is currently the tallest among competitiors, Just open the doors and it easily comes out to 90 Degrees which makes Entry & Exit comfortable, A bonus if you've a grandma in family.

Step inside and you suddenly notice Beige Interiors instead of Greyish which we used to see in earlier version. The overall plastic quality is OK but when knocking on the dashboard, It gives you hollow'ish feel.
Due to the tall stance of car, Your seating position automatically gets high so that you don't need to struggle hard for finidng an accurate driving angle.

Maruti Suzuki offers Optional Leather Seats in the ZXi trim for upmarket touch and comfort (Mind you that price goes upmarket as well

).

The Faux dark Wooden finish is available only on the Door Armrests and looks somewhat an after market fitment. Cabin of SX4 is well spaced and roomy enough. However, There are only some places to keep your Gadgets and other Items, Even the door pockets are small and can't hold anything more than a Dear Diary and Water bottle.

Seat are adequate on Head, Shoulder & Leg room but rear bench is bit low on knee room and frankly speaking, They are not-so-comfortable for long drives and few may even find them to be a bit hard.

HVAC and defoggers are quite powerful, We drove the car in Foggy rain and complete mist of Chennai for almost an hour and they performed the job well. However, Wipers aren't smart enough to wipe off all drops on windscreen.

SX4 comes with Automatic Climate Control as standard. The steering is leather wrapped with Audio controls mounted. Behind the steering, Instrument cluster gets a white colored detailed treatment which looks nice at night. Unfortunately, There is no screen for Real Time Mileage Figures or Distance to be Gased Up which we even found it a basic Rs.5+ Lakh model of Tata Manza. Outside Rear View Mirrors are bigger and helps to gives a decent view of activities happening behind you.

The Air Conditioner Vents on center are square and both the side ones are circular combination, and we found a honey comb like design behind main vents, Just like seen on SX4's chin. Kenwood's Dual-Din Music system comes is a standard fitment which has nice sound quality for a family car.

 

[Zinam]

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION

All frills goes under the hood of Refreshed SX4, This new breed has a M16A Engine. The SX4 is powered by a 1.6 litre VVT (Variable Valve Technology), Similar to Honda's i-VTEC.

VVT helps in maintaining the duration & timing of the intake and exhaust valves while the engine is in operation. Just put the car in "P" mode & crank the car, without much vibration & noise the car starts up. Move the gears to "D" mode.

This mode will help you to drive in city without changing your gears. You can drive upto 50kmph in "D" mode after which engine roars up a lot.

Once reaching 50+kmph just move th gears from "D" to "3" which helps you to take on next 20Kmph agter which you got to move it from "3" to "2" again. There is also an "L" mode which allows to climb any inclined locations.

We managed to reach 0-100 in just around 14 seconds which is good compared to the size & weight of the vehicle. Got boared with AT, try to sprint in lower ratios, engine roars, extremely roars & make you feel that who said Diesel cars are noisy!

 

[Zinam]

DRIVE, HANDLING & PERFORMANCE

Maruti SX4 takes a big applause here, Considering the size & weight of the vehicle, 5.3 turning radius is not only in the paper but quite true in real world as well. We managed a 360* and Reverse 180* Spin in a Slippy muddy area and it amazed us. The Turning radius is perfect and tight which can take on any U-Turns and city corners with ease. The 16" Wheels with 205s helps the handling to the maximum extent.

The SX4's Ground Clearance makes even some MPVs get ashamed. A massive 190 MM of Ground Clearance take away all the worries to tackle with pot holes in most of the bad roads of city.

This Maruti comes with an Independent Gas Filled MacPherson strut & anti-roll bar at front & Semi Independent torsion beam with gas filled shocks at the rears. The suspension setup has not yet improved from the older version which still creates jerks and sometimes proves to be bumpy on streets.

We managed 100+ in rainy weather condition and SX4 doesn't even misses the handling for a second. Car is rock stable at higher speeds and steering is pretty sharp and direct.

Behind Front wheels, Sits Ventilated Disc Brakes and Rear wheel comes with a Drums. Halt from 100kph-0Kph comes under a neat sub 4 second mark with ABS+EBD.

SAFETY & FUEL EFFICIENCY

SX4 comes equipped with an immobiliser iCats Security system, Dual SRS AirBags and the top end variant sports ABS combined with EBD.

The old version of SX4 MT was remembered for lower mileage but a small increase is now noticeable with help of VVT Technology.

We took the car on highway and managed to acheive ok-ok figure, You will run out of fuel within 530 Kms which is ok considering the power unleashed.

 

[Zinam]

What We Liked in SX4?

• Looks
• Build Quality
• Handling, Cornering & Turning Radius
• Driver Seat Visiblity
• Massive Ground Clearance

What We Dis-Liked in SX4

• Reversing car could be a tough task.
• Fuel Economy
• Wind & Tyre Noise at Higher speeds
• Noisy at extreme on Higher Revs
• Little Storage Space inside Cabin

The Automotive India Ratings

Design & Quality -

(4/5)

Comfort Levels -

(3.5/5)

Performance -

(3.5/5)

Ride Quality -

(3/5)

Handling -

(4/5)

Fuel Efficiency -

(3/5)

Safety -

(4/5)

Value For Money -

(3.5/5)


The Automotive India's Verdict

The SX4 is one of the best car in segment considering the road conditions in our country. The car has a tough build and is actually a SUV wearing clothes of a Sedan.

Due to the tall and heavy stance, It could be cumbersome to drive in heavy city traffic and reversing is just a challange, If you've an SX4 we highly recommend to install rear Parking Sensors. Also, Its not best suited for Lady Drivers espcially the learners.

With the launch of New Model, Prices have shot up to the North which doesn't makes it the sweetest deal of lot and the Fuel Economy Concius Buyers may not prefer it.

If you are looking to a sedan and have to frequently face the bad roads of city, The SX4 is the most considerable option for you. Thanks to the New Automatic Transmission option which will make the drive a pleasure, However your car would love drink much more.

SX4 is good for the Highway purposes as well but unfortunately, Its still not yet available in the Diesel Option which takes away few of the buyers. We hope MSIL soon gives a Diesel Power at decent price which would help the SX4 to become of Ace of the Pack.

 

[Zinam]

Variants & Pricing

• VXi: Rs.6,68,125
• Zxi: Rs.7,37,128
• ZXi (AT) : Rs.8,02,128
• ZXi (AT & Leather Seats): Rs.8,35,651
• ZXi (MT & Leather Seats): Rs.7,70,651

Color Choices

• Sliky Silver
• Midnight Black
• Pearl Arctic White
• Azure Grey
• Oyester Blue*
• Clear Beige
• French Eclair*

(*New Colors!)

Quick Tech. Summary

Engine:
4 Cylinder,1586cc, 16 Valve DOHC VVT Engine producing 104.68PS Horse Power @ 5600RPM and 145NM Torque @ 4100 RPM.


Transmission:

• VXi- 5 Speed Manual
• ZXi - 5 Speed Manual
• Zxi, ZXi Leather - 4 Speed Automatic

Suspension:

• Front- Independent Gas Filled with McPherson Struts and Anti Roll Bars
• Rear- Semi Independent Torision Beam with Gas Filled Shock Absorbers

Brakes:

• Front- Ventilated Discs
• Rear- Drums

Variants:

• VXi
• ZXi
• ZXi(O)

Wheels & Tyres:

Alloy Wheels, 16"

Tubeless Tyres, 205/60

Steel Wheel, 15"

Tubeless Tyres, 195/65

Vehicle Designed By :
Italdesign


Dimensions:

• Length - 4490mm
• Width - 1735mm
• Height - 1560mm(VXi) / 15470mm (Zxi)
• Wheel Base -2500mm
• Ground Clearance - 180mm(Vxi) / 190mm(ZXi)
• Boot Space - 505 Litres
• Fuel Tank - 50 Litres

 

[Zinam]

From Where To Bring Home A New Maruti Suzuki SX4?

Impressed with our Report and The New Maruti SX4?, The Automotive India will help you to locate the dealers in your area!

New Delhi:

1) Comptent Automobiles
F14, Comptent House, Middle Cirecle. Cannaught Place.
Phone: 011-23354572

2) Rana Motors
Rikhi House, A 2/7 SafdarJung Enclave. Opp. Bhikaji Cama Place.
Phone: 011-26712222

Mumbai :

1) Vitesse Motors
Turf View, Seth Motilal G Sanghi Marg, Worli.
Phone: 022-24945464

2) Sai Service Station Ltd.
Phonex Mills Compound, 462 Senapati Bapat Marg. Lower Parel.
Phone: 022-24939977

Kolkata:

1) Machino Techno
Jindal House, 8A Alipore Road.
Phone: 033-30487740

2) Mohan Motors
226/1 SJC Bose Road
Phone: 033-2283360

Chennai:

1) ABT Limited
102, Mount Road Guindy.
Phone: 044-42254555

2) Khivraj Motors Limited
623, Anna Salai
Phone: 044-42269555


Living in some other location? Contact Us and our team will help you to locate a dealer or take advice to choose a right car for yourself! Also, When enquiring from a dealer, Please mention "www.The Automotive India.com" and help us to spread the word!

Once you've bought the car, We're still here to assist you. Post your queries in our forums and many members out there will be happy to help you.


Credits:
Road Test & Photography : Adam Aniz (Zinam)
Text & Format : Vibhor Tyagi (350Z)

(C) 2008-2009, The Automotive India(www.theautomotiveindia.com), All Rights Reserved. Don't copy this article without owner/author's written permission.

 

[350Z]

Report Added.

Note: Don't get confused with the date/time of posts above as they are re-arranged. Actual date the SX4 was Test Driven was 14th November 2009.


Drive Safe!
350Z

 

[Neil.Bhujbal]

Ahhh... Here i am to type the same lines again.

Nice work Zinam,keep it up

 

[RSM]

Great work Zinam again. I think you test review is crisp and clear.

Apart from Automatic option, nothing much has changed. Let us see how market likes it. We will wait for next few months sales chart.

 

[Crazy cat]

Another excellent review zinam.

How quick the car kicksdown? is there any lag?

180*, 360*, etc.. that's the thing you can enjoy in a Suzuki. You can even play with the handbrake lever, the direct steering will help you to steer even under low grip condition with screeching tyres.

 

[type-r]

excellent review zinam!
this will really help my cousin now!
he was in love with SX4 but got eventually bored
maybe this will refresh some things

 

[Akash]

Great work Zinam. I believe that there are some talks going on between FIAT and MSIL for the 1.9L diesel engine, btu fiat is refusing so as to launch the Linea1.9(Expected in 2011-2012, so dont expect SX4 1.9L before Linea1.9L)

 

[cooldhaya]

Hey nice review Zinam!! managed to brave the chennai rains and produced this TD review for us!!

Good car but still the FE is not impressive!! 190MM ground clearance with the side skirts is amazing!!And yes am also expecting a diesel engine in this car!!