I almost decided to buy a Honda City Gxi when Maruti came up
with their answer in the form of SX4 yesterday. Went to the dealer straight
after office and waited for one hour to get a test drive. Here are my comments:
*Exterior:
*The exterior looks very muscular partly because of the high flared arches
above the wheels and partly because of the huge 16" tyres with alloys.
Also the high stance(ground clearance of 190mm) is visible clearly from out
side. Front looks are nothing great except the oversized clear lens front lamps
which somehow add to the beauty. But overall from outside the
car really does not look that long or that spacious as one feels by seeing a
Honda from outside. May be it’s my personal feeling.
*Interior& Engine:
*First thing first. The interior of SX4 is no where as spacious and as rich
as a Honda City. But the comparison ends there. It has got loads of features
inside. The steering wheel control of the music system is first in this
segment and quite handy to use while driving. The in dash controls and the
integrated music system and climate control looks nice when back lit. The back
lit ignition ring shaft is a nice addon. The power of the 1600cc is felt
immediately as soon as you put a slight pressure on the accelerator. Sitting
inside you almost feel like sitting in an Innova(may be little bit exaggerated
but believe me, not much). Visibility is good all around aided by the big
electronic rear view mirrors on both the sides. The dash board can’t be used to keep things on it
as it’s kind of roundish(probably because of the airbag stowage) and the glove
compartment is not big enough. The rear seat is very very comfortable for two
persons but as soon as you add one more person to sit in the middle the problem
starts. It’s not wide enough like a Honda(I was surprised because
specification wise it is supposed to be wider than Honda) that is one thing but
the worst part of the rear seating is the hand rest. When in closed position,
the hand rest is a little bit elevated from the baseline of the back rest. This
gives excellent comfort for seating two persons but the one sitting in the
middle has to sit straightback(far from being comfortable). I think Maruti
should take care of this problem immediately if they claim this car to be 5
seater. Leg space in rear is good enough for a person of 6ft height or so.
*My Conclusion:
*A great car to own if somebody is looking for great power and comfort of a
big car and normally rides with four persons and Maruti brand value. I am not
sure about mileage as it has the highest kerb weight(1220 kg) and widest tyres in
this segment. Dealers are claiming 10 to 14 kmpl depending upon how honest they
are. But you will have to compromise on interior space and richness to some
extent and also the mileage. But being a Maruti the maintenance of the car should
be cheaper than a Honda. One thing is for sure and that is the competition, from now on, will be between Honda City and SX4. Ford Fiesta and Chevy Aveo are out of the
window after launch of this car. Logan
was never there.