Checked out the much acclaimed SX4.
Looks - Just Amazing solid and sturdy.
Comfort & Seats - Front are pleasant enough . The rear are very comfortable at the sides with superb lumbar support. but if you are sitting at the middle in the rear, God Bless you, the arm rest when folded puffs out so much its like sitting with your back resting on block of foam at least an inch or 2 ahead of the rest of the seat. I wonder what was Maruti thinking . I seriously want to know. Space inside is quite big . but defintely not as big as the City but I guess it maybe larger than the Accent and the Aveo but the Honda City has got much more cubes in it. Stretching yourself in the SX4 is defintely a possibility with great leg space.
Steering - Amazingly rsponsive felt a tad tight at low speeds I presume this was due to less air in the test drive vehicle . On the ride and handling counts .it definitely does not match up to the Baleno but none the less it is good.
Ride Quality - Awesome way way way way way ahead of the City.
Engine - Gives enough of power though the engine vibration can be felt quite harshly in the cabin when accelerating. somethign like what we have in the Swift, we don’t find this on any of the Hondas though . guess Maruti has to work its way ahead on this count.
In the 5 th gear from 30 km/hr the engine is torquey enough to pick the vehicle upto speed .
Mileage - My guess is it would give a maximum of 10 km/l with the a/c on. in the city 9 - 9.5 is more like it.
Others: Rear view mirrors are great. I would place this over the Hyundai Verna overall, but a alongside the City(ride quality being the negative on the City)
Sound System decent enough but lacks a CD changer . The Audio control knobs on the steering are thoughtful but not for a chauffer driven car. I forgot to inquire whether there was a remote for the system. If you happen to know please drop a comment.
Aircon - Is good enough. No complaints on that front.