SX4, sounds like the sexy four, but it doesn’t seems so to have mellowed down that well in the vein of Indian audience. The SX4 was actually the replacement of Baleno, and the Maruti plonked it rightly in 2007 for a glazing price tag in the market. During earlier launch years, it proved the fortunes for carmaker, and the Indian carmaker cashed upon it astoundingly with almost no competitors around. The sales of SX4 started falling down soon when the Honda’s new City, which was launched in 2006, gained heavy momentum, though it too was there in the hype since initial days. Suzuki SX4 then came to a dim section of the game, and started fading off since the initial years of launch. It wasn’t a sign of good hope that was slated to happen to the car, but officials at the backend of Maruti didn’t left the grounds of hope. They then launched the improved engine in it by 2009 and a CNG as well as the diesel option a year later. Thoughtfully, the automatic was also landed to the SX4, but as said above, all in vain. SX4 was then started feeling unable to captivate the sales number that the carmaker has dreamt of. Lest, a resolution came in the form of facelift, and took us by the year 2013. We didn’t want to discuss its sales numbers yet, the matter of time that we are more interested is the pre-owned cars of model plate SX4.
One of the SX4s that was available at the used car dealer of our website listing, which too was worth going as per our standards, has got the petrol engine in its belly. It was the 1.6 liter machine that was stricken to a power of 104.7 PS @5600rpm and the maximum torque of 145 Nm @4100rpm. Let’s be informative, the true game winning streak that the SX4 has got, isn’t placed on the outer crust of car. If one wanted to know, then he shall lean down to ground, and it could be seen the entry-level sedan of Maruti is done with independent suspension with gas filled McPherson strut & anti roll bar on front; the rear by semi independent torsion beam with gas filled shock absorbers. In the pilot seat, the SX4 feels tall with enough ground clearance. The ride quality over potholes was not so worst, even the handling was sober for the city ride. Low revs on the odo for a town may not feel comfortable, the overall results felt confident and lenient throughout. As on the overall rating, the SX4 is a practical car. Its maintenance cost may shy away the other cars of that same segment. Air filter costs Rs 360 where the oil filter falls for Rs 142.
The labour charge that one has to pay for a service sums up to something Rs 1,185. We believe, the mid-size sedan of Maruti is one of the most affordable cars in the segment. Hence, just as we had said above, the SX4 is a lot practical and its maintenance is also quite low, the buyers in India had grinned to a level more than the practicality. In sense, we mean the abuse to suspension, over-speeding damage to steering and so on. The major issue that the backlog of SX4 has reported is the nose from steering rack. Hopefully, those are the ones which are driven on bad roads for more than 30,000kms. The replacement is claimed to have been perplexed the loss of Rs 37,000 (+ Rs 2,000 labour charges) in the pocket. We suggest you to stay away from examples with noises erupting from the steering rack, but if anyone who is still convinced to buy it then he should ask for a good amount of reduction in the purchase price. As mentioned before, the SX4 is low on maintenance; the suspension work too doesn’t falls expensive on the wallet. Linkages costs as low as Rs 466, while the labour charges goes only for Rs 190. In the worst case, front strut assembly too also needed a replacement, and it lures a depth of Rs. 3,000 on the savings, exclusive of the labour charge of Rs 1,030.
Conjuring the major recurring expense, which sets us back in most of the cases, and also even sometime compels us to avoid the other of that car purchase, is not so offensive on the SX4. In fact, all of the Maruti models are not that worst when it comes to oil replacement and service charge. This one too needed to be fed oil once in every one year or every 10,000kms, which sees the revenue of Rs 1,384 for the service center operators. The set of front brake pads also leaves a fade of Rs 1,790 on our pocket, whereas the filter lights up its replacement for a single grand (Rs 1000).
On the conclusion, the used SX4 is an efficient option to live with, but the ice that hasn’t broke by it is the fuel-efficiency over its major rival Honda City. We feel, the petrol variant of used SX4 may feel heavy on the pocket for those who had to gulp down several miles on a daily basis, but the looking down to it as a second car, or the one for various odd purposes will suit it better. We are glad to drive our hands on the diesel trim as well. Stay tuned to us for more automotive stuffs on the used car markets.
Technical Specifications of SX4 Petrol (Pre-Facelift):
[table id=218 /]
[table id=219 /]
