Maruti S-Cross : Official Review I had an opportunity to check out the Scross and the Creta today. I am posting a comparison of the two primarily in the looks and interiors departments, since I only got to test drive the Creta.
Firstly, the Nexa showroom at ORR near EMC is still work in progress. There was lot of work happening there whilst we were checking out the car. I was immediately attended to by a well dressed RM who had an Ipad with him. He took me around the vehicle and explained about the vehicles displayed there both of which were 1.3 Alpha variants in Blue and Brown shades. I did lend my ear though was Already aware of all the features thanks to the great details of the Review on the forum😀. He did sound well prepared and knew his stuff. I was impressed with what I saw. Maruti has put a lot of effort in building the Nexa. Whether this is the right strategy only time will tell. Post the visit to Nexa I visited the Hyundai Showroom on ORR and did a TD of the same. Now for my take on the 2
Exteriors:
Looks are subjective and a lot has been said about Scross not having a great presence. I agree to this and Creta does come out as more SUVish compared to Scross. However, to me Creta appeared a pretender a wannabe SUV while Scross had a lot of character as a crossover. There was not many flowing and fluidic lines like the Creta, but the plain looks will probably age better. Scross looks big in person and probably as big as the Creta.
Overall I liked the Scross better and I may be among the minority.
Interiors:
This actually was where I was surprised. I always thought Maruti had a lot of catching up to do with Hyundai on interior fit and finish. Not with the Scross though. I was impressed with the overall fit and finish and design of the interiors compared to the Creta. Sure there are the odd buttons and levers that are of poor quality, but overall the design is more modern and pleasing.
Interior space is where again I felt the Scross trumps the Creta. The seats were more comfortable, leg room at the rear a little better than the Creta. Seats in the rear of the Creta are a little low with the window line being high giving a claustrophobic feeling. Scross on the other hand, despite the all black interiors, felt more open. 3 in the rear would probably be a little more comfortable in the Scross.
Overall in the interior department, in my books the Scross scores more points. Some missing features on the Scross like the rear AC vents and just 2 airbags on the Alpha is a let down though.
I TD the 1.6 Sx (O) diesel for a short 1km stretch. Started the engine and was super impressed with the refinement. The engine was silent and smooth like butter. Slotted the gears which were smooth and started off. There is a slight lag below 1500 rpm after which there is good surge of power. The steering felt light at low speeds though it weighed in on at speeds between 60-80kmph. I could not test it beyond this speed and hence can't comment on the steering feedback at higher speeds, but definitely my Sx4 feel was better. Can't comment much on the ride quality and handling as the stretch did not allow me to test either though my wife felt not very comfortable at the rear. Overall the drive was nice.
Now my heart was pulling towards the 1.6 Alpha brute, though I had not been able to TD it. Finally I let go of my mind and listened to the heart and booked a 1.6 Alpha. Blue was the first preference followed by silver. I have asked for a TD as soon as possible and the RM has promised me the same. He was mentioning that the top end 1.6 could be 13.5L ex showroom. That was a downer for me. If this is true OTR could be close to 17L. At that price I may end up cancelling and Maruti may end up losing a lot of customers. Maruti hope you are listening and the OTR for the same is not more than 15L in Bangalore.
Last edited by nurni76 : 1st August 2015 at 18:45.
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