I just booked the Lxi version of Ritz after a lot of research on the car. Did quite some reading about the car, read through auto mags, online reviews and quite alot of other posts online, took a test drive before taking the decision.(We also own a Swift Lxi(back in my hometown) which is one big reason I didn’t consider the Swift, another Swift out here in B’lore wouldn’t make sense to me).
My initial impression of the car was good which is probably what strongly influenced my decision. The design looks fresh(although it’s behind looked wacko to me at first but then it slowly started growing on me, everytime I saw it later, I felt it actually looked cool). Well, to be honest, the rear end is quite a debatable design, you’re either going to say, Nice! that looks cool or at least it ain’t bad, or you’ll probably say yeeesh that looks horrible, it sucks.)
The car feels spacious in terms of the headroom and legroom space(I pushed the front driver’s seat behind till the end, and the rear seat still gave me sufficient legroom compared to what I’ve expienced in the swift, my knees weren’t even touching the behind of the front seat, by the way I"m 5.10"). Headroom is marginally good, the cabin feels more roomy and airy as a result, that’s one of the things you’ll realise and appreciate the moment you get in the car, whether in the front or the rear. Getting in and out is easier compared to the Swift.
Seat cushioning is good, a little on the softer side with overall good support which adds to the comfort factor when riding over bad roads, although the suspension setup is similar to the Swift’s, the ride is better over bumps and other road undulations. the seating is high(typical of tall boy designs) which is a positive cause it gives you a good view of the road ahead and around you(A pillar here is one sore point, seems to be a little thick and gives you that blind spot) Handling is decent, not so good like the Swift maybe but it does quite well, nothing that one would complain about.
The engine felt very refined, with the car stationary and the engine running, it was so smooth and quiet that I wasn’t sure whether the engine was actually running or not(with the windows open that too), I almost ended up trying to start the car again when it was already running. Initial pickup is quite good, and so is driveability through the gears. The car pulls quite well through the gears. The gear shift is perched a little higher, console mounted like in the i10; the gear shifting is smooth and precise with short throws. It felt like I was driving a mini-Innova; it’s a mini-MPV anyway.
The interiors are good, nothing so great, just good. Quality of plastics used seems to be decent; the console overall looked cool, with the rounded AC vents with the silver outline and stuff.
The speedometer housing looks just ok; didn’t like it much probably cause its small and rounded with a white background just like in the A-Star. Swift looks better in this respect. The blue inserts on the dashboard again looked a little inappropriate(blue inserts for the high end ZXI while others get grey inserts, I preferred the grey), which again might appeal to some and might not to others.
Overall I feel the car offers more in terms of practicality to the buyer. It betters Swift in some areas like mileage, spaciousness, the brand new engine which is equally powerful as the Swift’s, and is said to be lighter, has reduced NVH levels and friction and more improvements(while the Swift’s engine though good, has been in existence for too long, it’s done duty in Esteem, Versa and Gypsy). The design’s fresh as well, although some people may never want to or be able to digest it’s rear end. Swift anyway has it’s own strong fan following, it’s quite a looker(read macho looks) and a potent car which would probably appeal more to the younger folks while the Ritz would appeal to the more mature buyer who’s looking for more practicality in a car.