This is my first review on this site and I hope readers and prospective buyers find ut useful. I had been planning to upgrade to a bigger sedan from my WagonR for a few months and evaluated a lot of cars in the process. I had a budget of around 8 lakhs (stretch limit) and hence the cars I looked at were Honda City ZX, Ford Fiesta, Chevy Aveo, Hyundai Verna and finally SX4.
I somehow have a mental block against American cars. Not that I have anything against them, but I feel German and Japanese automobile technology is far superior to American (those who dont agree, explain why is Toyota America’s highest selling car??). Anyway, German cars are far too expensive so I looked at the Japanese options I had. I zeroed in on Honda City and Hyundai Verna (Koreans have got their technology from the Japanese). I drove both the cars and though both are good in their own ways, I liked the Honda better for its looks and sheer driving pleasure. The Verna, other than the fact that it is Diesel, doesnt have the character of Honda.
Thats when Maruti launched SX4. I drove the car and found it to be quite good. The engine is quite responsive, the ground clearance is amazing, the pickup is really good and the features are too good to be true ..... imagine Alloy wheels, integrated stereo, ABS, EDS, Airbags & 16V engine. All for a price that is a little more than Honda’s basic version.
That is what swung my decision in SX4’s favor. Complete value for money. Unmatched service network. Affordable maintenance and spares. The booking waiting period was a real pain and I had to wait for a month before my car was delivered.
I have been driving it for a week now and my Copper Sunlight SX4 Zxi is surely making heads turn! The engine is quite responsive and there is a deep rumble everytime you press the accelerator as if there is a demon inside the hood! The AC is quite effective (but the real test will be in the summer) and the stereo, though not a really high end variety, is good enough.
The ground clearance is very effective on Indian roads and makes you feel almost as if you are driving a SUV. The gear shift is a bit tight and that has always been Maruti’s achiles heel. I have yet to monitor the mileage but I presume it will give me atleast 11 kmpl in city conditions.
Overall a good car! I dont regret buying it at all and feel I have made a very smart choice.