I took the car to Khopoli from Pune this weekend, her first long drive !
The car was full with six people on board, two on each row.
(For reference : Petrol Zxi+)
I focused mainly on the Hybrid system this time and here is what I can say.
The SHVS system WORKS ! It is definitely not a marketing gimmick. But there is one big drawback, it works only for a few seconds.
The battery is charged when you are coasting the car or braking it. Once it is charged, the SHVS will supply additional torque to the car when needed. This is clearly evident when you are driving with full load. So, if you want to overtake a vehicle, or climb up a bridge, you shift down and press the accelerator pedal, there are two cases:
1. If the battery is charged, it will provide torque along with the engine's, you will feel that the engine is less strained and car will climb effortlessly. In this case though, the battery drains pretty fast and from four bars it will go to two bars within a few seconds, just about enough to complete your move or take the engine in its highest torque band. (This feeling is similar to those days when you are pedaling your bicycle uphill with your friend sitting on the carrier, and then he pushes the cycle with his legs, getting that momentary relief)
2. If the battery is not charged (say at two bars) the SHVS will not activate, its the engine which has full responsibility, you will feel the revs are little harsh and the engine note becomes gruff, which is how all cars will behave. Do note that the car will still not feel out of breath, it does a decent job but with a little grumble.
When you are done overtaking or throttling the car, and leave the accelerator, the battery starts charging immediately, the charging rate is pretty fast, so if you are coasting the car down a flyover, it will add one bar of charge. So it will be fully charged (from 50%) in say, 2 or 3 kms of coasting.
The SHVS won't work if the battery is anywhere between 1 and 2 bars, it wont show any message that its working or not, the only way is to look at the MID display where it shows power transfer graphically. So, if you are climbing a ghat (the Khandala section of Pune-Mumbai expressway) the SHVS will work probably for the first time, it wont further as there wont be any charge left. Same is the case with city driving, it just wont get enough time to charge.
What I saw is that the battery does not charge just by keeping the car idling. It probably uses some other tech (Brake energy regeneration ?) to recharge the battery. And the reason why it never shows fully charged is because it never gets an opportunity to keep the charge, there is always a point when the SHVS is active. I saw the battery reach fully charged level only on highway. On sections filled with flyovers and trucks, the SHVS gets enough time to charge and discharge and it works pretty well in such scenarios.
The automatic start stop system works well in city, but if you are in a stop and go situation (I was stuck in the ghat section with steep incline) you don't want the car engine to stop running and that is a bit irritating. So I had to switch it off. When the battery charge was just one bar, it gave me message that automatic start/stop disabled, but as soon as it got charged, it got activated. So I am getting used to the 'unpredictability' of this system. Do note that its pretty seamless and occupants wont feel a thing. I also felt the AC was fully functioning but not completely sure. I am only concerned with long term effects of that on electricals and battery in general.
Other points :
1. The car can pull with all seats occupied, there is enough torque available, I could easily manage 90 kmph on expressway without any issues. The SHVS system helps in full load conditions as mentioned above.
2. Third row seats were comfortable for elders (they are both about 5 feet 6 in). Did not feel cramped or tired. Asked them if we can do a Pune-Goa non stop, the reply was positive. Only problem is ingress-egress. Luckily my parents are fit enough.
3. Ride is a bit bouncy on rough surfaces, better to reduce speed. Can't say anything different than already written in the official review. Its an MPV which rides tall, so we have to keep that in mind.
4. Body roll is minimal upto 80 kmph, she rides almost like a car. There is no Xylo/Sumo like movement. This is perhaps the best thing that I liked about the car.
5. With full load, I felt the steering weighing in properly at high speeds. It required a little force to turn.
6. AC takes some more time to cool, especially when parked under sunlight (It was the hottest day in 53 years recorded in Pune. The MID showed 38 Degrees in the afternoon)
But once it cools, the automatic control does a decent job of maintaining temperature.
7. No goggle holder on the top variant is a big bummer. Storage places on the dashboard are limited too. Especially if both driver and co-driver want to keep their wallets and cell phones out of their pockets, and the phone is connected to usb.
8. Cooled bottle holders are a boon !
9. Android auto is great ! But I had to switch to blue-tooth as it shows whatsapp notifications from your close friends which you don't want your dad to see when he is sitting next to you
10. Headlamps are average, definitely need an upgrade in terms of brightness levels.
I couldn't get more time out of the car for pictures, holding a small kid when I was not driving and the sweltering heat made it even more difficult to get out.
Some bhpians had asked for a photograph of seat covers, here you go !