SX4 the City

15 May '07

Text: Bijoy Kumar Y
Photos: Srinivas Krishnan

The Maruti Suzuki SX4 is ready for combat with the Honda City. Does it have what it takes?

The speedo was climbing into the wrong side of 140 kph. The Maruti Suzuki SX4 that I was driving felt absolutely surefooted on the beautifully paved highway. That was when I noticed them. What began as mere specks in the horizon were growing at an alarming rate and getting transformed into two-wheelers coming at me. Yes, they were on the wrong side of the road and that meant on a certain collision course with the SX4 which was now decimating the fast lane.

Welcome to Incredible India, and particularly Rajasthan. Later I would learn that it is perfectly normal to see motorcyclists and tractor drivers dominating the fast lane on the wrong side of the road. Suicidal? Let’s talk of brighter things. It was one of those moments to react and react fast. Standing on the brakes was the only option since I had to shed some speed... and that would normally mean locked-up wheels, hitting the median and cleaning up the ‘oncoming’ riders. But as I said, it was the only option. Thankfully I was testing the ZXi version and that meant the car came with ABS (anti-lock braking system). I stood on the brakes and the car shed speed with a definite sense of urgency and soon I could see the facial features of those riders – they looked content at leaving all the emergency work for me. I had to ensure that they did not swerve into the middle lane, which thankfully, they didn’t, and that meant the SX4 could be steered on to safety while the brake pads were biting bits off the rotors.

Sure, I should be ashamed of driving so fast and I should know of the dangers that one should expect on Indian roads. But trust me, 140 kph felt absolutely safe and sane on that piece of road and I am absolutely sure that there are people who would drive their cars at such speeds on our four-lane highways. The moral of the story is simple – buy your car, SX4 or for that matter any new car, with maximum safety features. Our country is going through a transition period and you really don’t want to be a victim of circumstances.

So that is where we begin this test drive report. The SX4 is offered in two versions and the ZXi model comes with ABS (with electronic brake distribution) and two airbags as standard equipment. Way to go, Maruti, it shows how a true market leader can show the right direction to the rest of the industry.