wheel32
12-29-2007, 03:02 PM
LIGHTNING-QUICK THROTTLE responses and a razor-sharp steering - two vital attributes needed to make a car effortless to drive rapidly in traffic. has both in spades, making it a traffic star.
20
Get behind the wheel of the SX4 for any length of time, get used to the effortless midrange performance, the almost-electric car or hybrid-like instant pull of torque and its flick-of-the-wrist ability to turn on a dime, and any other car feels like a sloth in bumper-to-bumper situations. Probably the only other car to give us something similar was the Ford Ikon 1.6, back in the day. The high seats give you great visibility, you get a bird's¬eye view of the road ahead and tall drivers don't have problems with headroom either. 'More bang for your buck', 'Stretch your money', 'Paisa¬vasool' - three phrases, all of which hold true about our long¬term SX4 ZXi. This car is as feature-rich as cars in the Rs 10¬12 lakh segment, at a price that isn't too far off from a Swift ZXi. True, it doesn't have the snob value or the head-turning looks of, say, a Civic, but in its own way it does stand up and set itself apart from the crowd. Still, it's a slightly unusual and not universally loved shape, with a small minority not warming up to the looks of
the car.
We are also getting used to being pampered by all the toys. The SX4 comes with steering wheel-mounted audio controls; great for adjusting the volume when you are driving and feel like upping the tempo, or stab- bing at the mute button to get a few words in. But the buttons are a little too close to your thumb and it takes some learn¬ing not to trip up one of them inadvertently. So you could go into the corner listening to 'Life is a highway' and switch to ghazals on FM on the exit. Then there are the deliciously cool metallic aircon control knobs. They function with a quality feel, and the fact that the entire surface of the knob is a slick, functioning button is cool too.
19
The MP3 stereo isn't as impressive. Clarity isn't the best around, it lacks punch as you push the volume and, because it is an integrated design, fitting an aftermarket head unit will mess up the neat dashboard. Your best bet is an additional amplifier and a new set of speakers.
In the short span that it's been with us, the SX4's new engine hasn't disappointed. Yes, it does get a bit noisy and it strains when it approaches the redline, but this is only when you are going at close to 100 per cent, and even we don't do thattoo often. Other things that you may love about your SX4 are the easy access to the seats, the high seat¬ing and the fact that, even fully¬loaded, the ground clearance is adequate. We know this, because we took part in this year's Raid¬de-Himalaya (one of the world's toughest off-road challenges) in another SX4. The car took three days of battering quite well.
What we have gotten used to is the mildly stiff and unsettled ride that doesn't allow you to fully relax. Visibility while reversing is still a pain in the neck, as you crane just that much in a futile attempt to get around the rear headrests. And we don't particularly enjoy being whacked in the head by the bootlid, which doesn't stay open and returns to hit you in the head as you bend down to pick up your luggage. We're also not too happy about the fuel¬efficiency. 8.6kpl is what we are getting in the city, but that's partly because the car is being driven very energetically right now. The motor still feels tight at 2,000 kilometres, so we expect the figure to improve as it frees up. And we will also get a more representative fuel figure once the novelty wears off.
20
Get behind the wheel of the SX4 for any length of time, get used to the effortless midrange performance, the almost-electric car or hybrid-like instant pull of torque and its flick-of-the-wrist ability to turn on a dime, and any other car feels like a sloth in bumper-to-bumper situations. Probably the only other car to give us something similar was the Ford Ikon 1.6, back in the day. The high seats give you great visibility, you get a bird's¬eye view of the road ahead and tall drivers don't have problems with headroom either. 'More bang for your buck', 'Stretch your money', 'Paisa¬vasool' - three phrases, all of which hold true about our long¬term SX4 ZXi. This car is as feature-rich as cars in the Rs 10¬12 lakh segment, at a price that isn't too far off from a Swift ZXi. True, it doesn't have the snob value or the head-turning looks of, say, a Civic, but in its own way it does stand up and set itself apart from the crowd. Still, it's a slightly unusual and not universally loved shape, with a small minority not warming up to the looks of
the car.
We are also getting used to being pampered by all the toys. The SX4 comes with steering wheel-mounted audio controls; great for adjusting the volume when you are driving and feel like upping the tempo, or stab- bing at the mute button to get a few words in. But the buttons are a little too close to your thumb and it takes some learn¬ing not to trip up one of them inadvertently. So you could go into the corner listening to 'Life is a highway' and switch to ghazals on FM on the exit. Then there are the deliciously cool metallic aircon control knobs. They function with a quality feel, and the fact that the entire surface of the knob is a slick, functioning button is cool too.
19
The MP3 stereo isn't as impressive. Clarity isn't the best around, it lacks punch as you push the volume and, because it is an integrated design, fitting an aftermarket head unit will mess up the neat dashboard. Your best bet is an additional amplifier and a new set of speakers.
In the short span that it's been with us, the SX4's new engine hasn't disappointed. Yes, it does get a bit noisy and it strains when it approaches the redline, but this is only when you are going at close to 100 per cent, and even we don't do thattoo often. Other things that you may love about your SX4 are the easy access to the seats, the high seat¬ing and the fact that, even fully¬loaded, the ground clearance is adequate. We know this, because we took part in this year's Raid¬de-Himalaya (one of the world's toughest off-road challenges) in another SX4. The car took three days of battering quite well.
What we have gotten used to is the mildly stiff and unsettled ride that doesn't allow you to fully relax. Visibility while reversing is still a pain in the neck, as you crane just that much in a futile attempt to get around the rear headrests. And we don't particularly enjoy being whacked in the head by the bootlid, which doesn't stay open and returns to hit you in the head as you bend down to pick up your luggage. We're also not too happy about the fuel¬efficiency. 8.6kpl is what we are getting in the city, but that's partly because the car is being driven very energetically right now. The motor still feels tight at 2,000 kilometres, so we expect the figure to improve as it frees up. And we will also get a more representative fuel figure once the novelty wears off.