1500km with my Maruti Fronx Turbo MT: Observations as an ex Swift owner

Fuel economy varies wildly according to the way you are driving. I guess that is a nature of any turbo engine.

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Hi all,

Got my Zeta Turbo MT on September 21 and already completed 1500 KMs. I am thoroughly enjoying the car. This is my first turbo car, I had an old 2008 Swift. While the acceleration of that car was quite good, this one enables me to overtake in any gear, which is fun and very useful on single lane highways.

I think our reactions to a car is greatly determined by the cars we have been driving so far. So, my observations will be largely influenced by my experience with Swift. The comfort inside the car is very good, the suspension is very nice. The wind noise is almost absent, but there is a significant amount of tyre noise. I am mostly driving within 2K rpm, and the engine is quite silent. You realize it is a 3 cylinder engine when you start the engine – there is an immediate vibration. After that, the NVH is nominal (in my opinion).

I was a little unsure about the car’s stability, as YT ‘experts’ were not recommending this for highways. To my surprise, I feel very confident when I am taking on the long curves at 60 and even 70. I have so far drove it at a max speed of 105, and it did not make me nervous at all.

Fuel economy varies wildly according to the way you are driving. I guess that is a nature of any turbo engine. In city, I have got anywhere from 8.5 KMPL to 17.15 KMPL, with 12-13 KMPL being the standard range. On highways, I am comfortably getting 16-17 KMPL. They said it will only increase in time.

During my drives, I have been through really very bad roads. Mostly badly broken roads with big potholes that were tilting big trucks dangerously. The car performed very well, it hold us comfortably and the suspension maneuvered them well.

Regarding service, I would say I am very very satisfied. During the first service i was feeling the gear box was a little notchy and the brake was not being smooth. As VVS29 mentioned, i was unable to manipulate the brake. The initial bite seemed less especially when you are in high speed. But then the agents mentioned about the Brake Assist feature and how it functions. I am more confident now. I got some rattling sound, especially from the rear spoiler. They requested me to send the car to the workshop a second time and fixed it. They also greased the gear box and it is working better now.

Now, a few things I noticed so far from my personal usage, but I have not seen being mentioned by others:

• Ergonomics: The ergonomics of the buttons inside the cabin is fantastic. I am a new driver (driving for 2 years now), and i can easily reach out to any one without any problem. The biggest blessing is the position of the oil tank lid opener, you don’t have to stoop at all. I wish there a boot opener as well.
• Visibility: Everyone has identified the problem with the small gap between the IRVM and the dashboard, and it is right. And if you pull your driving seat up, your eyes are almost parallel to the IRVM. So if you are taking a left turn, and trying to see if something is coming from the opposite side, your eyes go to the IRVM instead. Another thing is, because the windshield has a significant slant, it reflects the dashboard more noticeably. So, if the sunlight is coming through the windshield, you will see the entire texture of the dashboard, and everything else put on the dashboard reflected in the windshield.
• Ingress and egress: While the driving seats don’t have a problem, getting out from the rear seats might be a problem especially for tall elderly people. My father is 5 ft 10, and when he is seating in the rear, he found it difficult to stoop and come out. BY the way, we have never faced any headroom issues so far. Yes, it is less than other cars, but it is sufficient.
• Maintenance: The car accumulates a lot of dust and mud at the rear (probably because of its design). So, that’s a headache, especially when you are driving in monsoon or in rain. I have a nexa blue car, and the color is really susceptible to scratches. I kind of new it but then my heart prevailed my head.

Overall, very very happy with the car. the Shortcomings are not really deal breakers for us. Now, I am planning a road trip in December. So finger crossed!

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