Maruti SX4 launched with a mild facelift, new features, better mileage

The Maruti SX4 has just received a mild facelift, better claimed mileage and the addition of a few features in the top-end ZXI and ZDI variants. There is only a very slight increase in price of a couple of variants, which is a good thing, as this makes the car much better value for money now.

What’s new with the SX4?

New-look front

So here’s what is new with the “new” Maruti SX4. The car now sports a new bumper and chrome front grille as was expected. The revised bumper adds about 10 mm in length to the SX4, as it has sharper cuts and a new fog-lamp housing in it. It also gets integrated turn indicators in the rear-view mirrors. The rear-view mirrors themselves in the ZXI and ZDI variants are power-adjustable and power foldable – the first Maruti sedan to sport this feature after the Kizashi. There are no changes to the rear of the car. Maruti is offering two new colour options – a dark grey (Graphite grey) and a deep blue (Serene blue). Also see: Checklist for used Maruti SX4

Better interiors, added features

On the interiors, the car gets a dual tone finish with a black and beige dashboard, with beige seat upholstery continuing. It also gets a new design for the wood panel inserts on the door trim, as well as chrome door handles. The big change is to the infotainment system. This is the first Maruti car to get a Bluetooth-integrated, touchscreen GPS navigation infotainment system on the ZXI and ZDI variants. Some chrome bits around the AC vents has also been added, and the quality of the plastics looks much better now.

Other standard features such as automatic climate control, dual airbags, ABS, fog lamps (front and rear), defogger, remote locking, power windows, tilt steering, height adjustable seat and alloy wheels continue on the ZXI and ZDI variants. All variants come with the iCats immobilizer system which has drastically reduced theft of Maruti cars. Also read: Maruti cars resale value comparison

More fuel efficiency

There are no major mechanical changes to either the petrol or diesel variant, except that the engine management system has been tweaked and engine oil grade revised to provide better claimed fuel efficiency. The fuel efficiency for the 1.3 litre diesel engine variants is now 22.1 kmpl from 21.5 kmpl earlier. The fuel efficiency for the 1.6 litre petrol engine variants is now 16.51 kmpl from 15.5 kmpl. The CNG variant claims 22.1 km per Kg. Also read: Maruti Sx4 diesel vs Skoda Rapid diesel

Revised prices of Maruti SX4

The Maruti SX4 is available in five variants, VXI, ZXI in petrol and VDI, ZDI in diesel as well as a VXI CNG variant (SX4 Green). There is no mention of the SX4 automatic in the new lot, and we’ll need to reconfirm its availability. Prices are ex-showroom Delhi.

Maruti SX4 VXI (petrol): Rs. 7.38 lakh

Maruti SX4 Green VXI (CNG): Rs. 7.99 lakh

Maruti SX4 ZXI (petrol): Rs. 8.24 lakh

Maruti SX4 VDI (diesel): Rs. 8.27 lakh

Maruti SX4 ZDI (diesel): Rs. 9.21 lakh

What we think

The Maruti SX4 is one of the tougher cars in its segment and suits buyers looking for a car that has good ground clearance and can deal with bad roads pretty well. It was a little dated as it didn’t have the feature some of its competitors had, and also suffered from bland styling and lack of rear seat space. The facelift tries to correct some of that and the added features on the top two variants are a definite bonus as the prices have not been revised much. However, when compared to cars like the Hyundai Verna, the SX4 still seems a little dated, despite now being more value for money. With sales having fallen in the past few months, this facelift should improve its prospects a bit.