Buying a used Maruti Suzuki SX4

In Brief

The SX4 has had a very average sales run during its eight year span. Since Maruti launched the SX4 in 2007, the sedan hasn’t quite hit the sweet spot in the C-segment. It comes with petrol and diesel engines, is very spacious on the inside and has a big boot. But buyers haven’t found the SX4 premium enough and the SX4’s positioning too has been a notch below likes of the Honda City and Hyundai Verna. And now the sedan will soon go out of production. While the positives remain, its negatives are stricken off in the pre-owned car segment. And now the SX4, which was already good value for money, is even better value as a used car.

On the Road

The SX4 sports a 1.6-litre petrol engine and the popular 1.3-litre Fiat sourced multijet diesel engine under the hood. The petrol engine got variable valve timing in 2009 that improved throttle responses and made it a smoother car to drive. It dishes out about 105PS and is quite peppy but will shoot up your running costs. So only if you are going to drive your car sparingly, opt for the petrol. The diesel engine is tried and tested and can be a workhorse if that’s what you are looking for. The 90PS unit is adequate on power and is quite efficient. Both engines come mated with 5-speed manual gearboxes. The SX4’s 180mm ground clearance is its best asset. There’s no worry of scrapping your underbelly over large sped humps like other cars with soft suspensions. Talking of dynamics, the ride isn’t exactly supple and the SX4 rolls a bit when chucked into corners.

Moving in

The acres of space in the SX4 is its USP. You sit higher than usual in a sedan and get an excellent view of your surroundings though its large windows and windshields. The interior plastics aren’t that great but the fit and finish is better than most Marutis. Still, being a Maruti, rattles from loosened parts are part of package so make sure the one you pick doesn’t rattle much over bad roads. The 505 litre boot can gobble up the biggest of bags. Since the SX4 comes in only two variants, you will find a lot of top spec variants in the used car market (ZXi/ZDi). These get alloy wheels, climate control, fog lamps, ABS and two airbags.

Efficiency

The SX4 petrol returns an ARAI certified fuel economy figure of 16.5kmpl and the SX4 diesel is rated at 22.8kmpl. Expect closer to 10-11kmpl on the petrol and about 17-18kmpl from the diesel in the real world.

Buying used

There’s nothing majorly wrong about an SX4 that can draw you away from it. In fact, the SX4 is excellent value as a new car and that reflects to the keen pricing you will find at used car dealerships. Think of an SX4 as a sedan that can be bought with a slightly stretched budget instead of the hatchback you are looking for. Since the suspension is on the softer side and the car rolls a fair bit, the suspension and tyres have a shorter life than other sedans in this segment. If a car has crossed 60,000-65,000km, you might require a new front set so check for suspension noises during your test drive. The life of Maruti clutch plates, especially in their petrol cars aren’t known to be too long so check for a hard clutch and slippage. Finally check for electricals and air conditioning, underbody rusting and you are good to go. 

Money-wise

A 2011 year model SX4 petrol in top trim will cost you anything between Rs 3.8 lakh and Rs 4.3 lakh. You can knock off between Rs 30,000-Rs 50,000 for a car a year older and so on. The diesels are is demand so prices are a tad higher. A 2011 diesel SX4 will cost you between Rs 6-6.5 lakh. Maruti introduced the diesel only in 2011 so older examples will not be found. Add about Rs 50,000-70,000 for a diesel SX4 that’s a year younger.