HiFi Geek

THE ALL NEW MARUTI SX4

MARUTI-SUZUKI has its hold on more than 50 percent of the car industry of India where the launch of the HONDA and TOYOTA have created the need to launch the MID SIZED cars in INDIA where now we have the Maruti trying its luck with the new BALENO SX4 sedan which has been going critically in India as well as US where it has lost its edge.

THE CRITICAL FEATURES – NOW ANALYSED

THE ENGINE OF THE SX4
The Baleno SX4 has been using the all-aluminum 1.6-liter, 94bhp engine. However, many of them have been tried and tested and are in the process. The latest model is expected to have a 1.6L, VVT motor with the power of 107bhp so that the SX4 becomes a strong contender to compete with the OPTRA and the COROLLA. The SX4 in the Indian markets will have a 2-liter, 143bhp petrol engine and the same engine even in the US so that the car gets the ability to compete with the Civic and Corolla.

For the diesel engine, the car would use a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine that has been fixed in the SWIFT. If these engines will be used instead of just being told about then the Maruti will target to compete with the cars like the City, Fiesta, Aveo, Verna and Logan on one side whereas the saloons like Civic, Corolla, Optra, Elantra, Octavia and Mitsubishi Cedia on the other.

THE EXTERIOR AND THE INTERIOR FACTOR

The design team of the Maruti Suzuki has claimed that the car SX4 is made to give a performance with STYLE and a HEAD TURNING package along with. SX4 has got quite an AGGRESIVE and a SPORTY wedge shape front fascia and grille. The contemporary styling of the car is seen in the new headlamp cluster in the bonnet. The arched fenders make the car look muscular and athletic with the body having a shape of a low, rising waistline and large, triangular-shaped windows on the front door. The back of the SX4 is not a design that eye catchy as it has a larger tail gate and a rear bumper making the car look elegant and dynamic.
The SX4 is seen to have its traditional HIGH-ROOF design to give it a spacious interior. The car has a WIDER door opening to give the driver as well as the passengers the ease of entry. The CABIN design of the car makes the seating arrangement of five with much of the interior space. The SX4 has featured theater-style seating for the rear passengers as the rear seats are higher than the front seats and front and rear occupants enjoy a wide field of vision whereas the height of the car makes the communication between the front and the rear passengers a lot easier. The car is not a WIDE one but surely has made a great way to offer a good space because of its taller nature along with the leg space of 913mm and shoulder space of 1341mm at the rear.

SAFETY MODE

There are many features that the SX4 has taken up from the Swift like the suspension and brake systems where the suspension shows the McPherson strut with coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, anti-sway bar at the front, and torsion beam live axle with coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and anti-sway bar at the rear. The car will also offer the power steering and power brakes to take control of the 17″ alloy wheels that will finally, suit the Indian conditions
The car with a rigid body also has a reinforced cabin structure nestled between the front and the rear crushable zones for good quality ride on poor conditions. There are the three-point seatbelts for all of the passengers in the car with advanced safety features like the ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and the dual SRS airbags that will be in their higher variants. For keeping the driver protected during the side collision, if any the car also has the front and rear side door impact beams. An immobilizer is also there in the car for protecting it fro any kind of theft.

THE COST

SX4 is expected to be seen on the road of India by May of this year with its price ranging between Rs 6 lakh to 7.5 lakh while the prices will shoot up if the desire of Maruti to enter the Saloon market takes place. The best features of the car include the cheap spares, low running costs, easy servicing, good fuel economy and its low price.