[pappyrohit]

Originally Posted by aks812

Why would you put leatherette seat covers in a 6 airbag car? Has the showroom given in writing if the seat covers are airbag compliant and tested?

There was no written proof from the showroom about the effectiveness of the cover. The covers were part of Maruti Suzuki Genuine Accessories. As for the design, the cover only covers the lumbar part of the seat. The shoulder and side support is exposed.
Link to accessory = https://www.marutisuzuki.com/genuine...90j0m76ts8-020

[tj123]

Originally Posted by pappyrohit

The dealer gave us ₹19k discount and a few extras like TPMS and leatherette seat covers.

I'm curious about the type of TPMS being provided as an accessory. Is it integrated with the Head Unit? Could you please provide more details? I'm missing this crucial safety feature in my Zeta AT.

[pappyrohit]

Originally Posted by tj123

I'm curious about the type of TPMS being provided as an accessory. Is it integrated with the Head Unit? Could you please provide more details? I'm missing this crucial safety feature in my Zeta AT.

The TPMS was a third party accessory, which isn’t integrated with the car’s electronics. The display head unit is separate and can be stuck on the dash. It’s powered by solar panels and has a USB type A cable for auxiliary charging.
One line review - It’s useless.

The manufacturer recommended tyre pressure is 33psi all around, but the TPMS settings start at 36psi. I have a habit of sticking to manufacturer recommendation, so the TPMS could never be set and it beeps pretty often (a very annoying sound).

[aks812]

Originally Posted by pappyrohit

The TPMS was a third party accessory, which isn’t integrated with the car’s electronics. The display head unit is separate and can be stuck on the dash. It’s powered by solar panels and has a USB type A cable for auxiliary charging.
One line review - It’s useless.

The manufacturer recommended tyre pressure is 33psi all around, but the TPMS settings start at 36psi. I have a habit of sticking to manufacturer recommendation, so the TPMS could never be set and it beeps pretty often (a very annoying sound).

These TPMS are same the cheap Chinese ones available online. You can set the minimum psi limit with the buttons on top of it. I have been using them for years now in multiple cars without any issue and i feel they should be mandatory in every car, very helpful.

[zaidmundewadi]

Hello All,

I am sharing my purchase and first 1000kms experience with our new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Alpha MT.*

We upgraded from our 2020 Ignis Sigma which was now becoming insufficient for a family of 4 (my partner and our twin babies). We were looking for a car (SUV or Sedan) which had a comfortable suspension at low speeds and bumps, good ride quality, ISOFIX car seat provision and better safety.

Usually people compare an SUV with an SUV, but my second choice was the new hyundai verna 2023, because apart from the comfort on bad roads, it was also feature rich with ADAS. I decided to go only for the Grand Vitara because the commanding position and the height it offered, felt like an actual upgrade (the interior of the Verna was not feeling like an upgrade). But the part that i felt to be a bit unfair was that i had to jump to the Zeta variant just for 6 airbags, and then the budget had surpassed so much that it didn't feel worth losing the sunroof, so we ultimately decided for the Alpha variant. (That was the strict ultimatum from my wife, "Alpha or No Grand Vitara!" ).

Now let me put my experience so far below:

Performance: Not going to waste your time if you are just here to confirm if the engine is lackluster. NOPE, its not, and provided that i was looking for a family car, the performance perfectly suits my needs. It is sufficient to pull a nuclear family of 4 on hill slopes and never thrusts like a turbo, even accidentally, giving me that confidence on safety.*
I am not gonna lie. For a few kms after we took the delivery of the car, it did feel like the power to body weight ratio was poor, felt like the engine had to work hard especially after 3rd gear. But as we reached the 1000kms mark, i think the engine and the clutch feel more refined now and I no more feel the lack of power. On steep slopes, yes, i feel the need to stay in 1st gear for comparatively more time than i needed to, in our older Ignis, which had a much lighter body and a powerful 1.2L engine, but thats about it.*
So here's the bottom line, if you would mostly drive with ur family and kids in cities and occasionally do the long highway or ghat runs, then the Grand Vitara's engine is enough for u. If you are mostly going to travel alone or do very frequent long trips, then i definitely would suggest to look at more powerful options.

Design: Now this is something where i have seen so many people just buying this car for the design. It is a real head turner and even my spouse noticed this. The exterior design and feel look sporty, sturdy and premium. Kid you not, I see several owners buying this just for the looks but then realise the engine is underpowered for them. So i would suggest not to buy a car just for the exterior looks since it is the interiors (along with mechanics) that we spend all the time with while we go on trips. We hardly notice the exterior, just come down to the car and sit inside. That is where the Grand vitara also shines (atleast for me). The interior feels premium, sturdy and safe. The seats are comfortable and the soft touch cushioning also feels premium.

Space: now this is something that im not really satisfied with. My wife currently sits in the rear seat in the middle with 2 car seats on each side. The space is enough, she doesnt need to squeeze in when i close the door (to not thud a baby's car seat) like she had to in the Ignis, but i feel the leg space could have been better. The cabin could have felt more airy. Our older Ignis was a small car but the cabin was so airy and spacious which immediately had us sold. Grand Vitara's cabin is also spacious as per the numbers but i guess its the interior build and architecture that takes it away, especially with the protruding rear AC vents.
However, the car being not so bulky, does give a hefty advantage on narrow roads. It surprisingly passes through tight roads even though at first glance nobody believes it would.



Ride quality: Do all SUV's jump and wobble on pot holes? This is why i was also considering a sedan. Grand vitara does wobble and jump and i think it is to do with the tyre pressure because as soon as i fix it, it improves temporarily.*The suspension and shock absorbers are decent, although on few badly made rumblers the car shakes badly.*
In short, u will notice each bump and pothole but wont be disturbed by it as much.

Features:

Panoramic sunroof: Glad that Maruti Suzuki went all out and didnt give a tiny sunroof. We have no complaints on the net sun shade yet. On the flipside, it actually makes the cabin feel breathable. Maybe in the longer run, we may apply a film over it, bt as of now its just right! The only area of improvement would be the noise it makes while opening and closing.

360 camera:
I have seen people complain the quality at night time but being a person who has never seen/used a 360 camera before, it’s a boon! Works really well and the guide lines on the screen are calibrated well. Low light scenarios are also not bad considering that usually while parking, the light from the headlights bounces back and makes it well light for one to park. My only wish is to have an option to keep it on for longer as it turns off when we pass a particular speed. Also I wish we had a toggle for this on the steering wheel itself since I see there are some available slots. My muscle memory to reach the button on the side hasn’t developed yet and it would have been easier to use from the steering wheel itself.

Tinted Glass all over:
This feature is like an unsung hero. Due to this, the cabin gets cooler more quickly and the people inside feel relaxed even with the hot sun outside. Just makes the overall experience a happier one.

Idle start/stop:
It takes a bit of practice since one needs to step off the clutch on their first stop in traffic. If you are a bit confused and lift the clutch late then it won’t turn off the engine. For this, I push the car just a little again when I get some scope and then lift the clutch to engage idle start/stop. I wish it was more intuitive as to when to turn off the engine. I really feel this will help with mileage in the log run but as of now the average it shows is 14.5 in the city.

Headlights:
I just wish I didn’t feel like swapping them out for better ones after buying the most premium car offered by Maruti Suzuki. Well, I didn’t yet, but I feel to. Headlight throw is sufficient, but it’s the intensity of the light that I think was much better in our halogen headlight blessed Ignis. Sometimes at night I even crossed a few potholes just because I couldn’t spot them. I tried the level adjuster in each situation and it did improve the situation but can’t keep doing this always. It needs to be something that one just turns on and forgets about it. I love the auto on/off feature but that’s been around for ages.



Cruise control:
I like that we can increase and decrease speed from the steering wheel itself but on Indian highways even at the least busy times, I never get the opportunity to keep it on for long. So didn’t get confidence yet on it, but the response from the steering wheel controls is smooth.

Music system:
The sound quality is good but sometimes the connection just goes away and I have to restart the car to solve it. Yes, just restarting the infotainment system doesn’t work. The interface is buttery smooth, although it lacks features and does only the basic. Google assistant/voice commands are still a hit or miss, maybe will get better with time.

Keyless entry (also on passenger side):
This is nothing new, but I just want to mention that this will, by default, only unlock that particular front door. If u want all the doors to be unlocked then need to change this in the settings located in the instrument cluster.

Conclusion:
In all, I feel the Grand Vitara Alpha MT is the ideal family SUV for most people that promises affordable servicing and easy availability of spare parts. Also, gives a trustworthy resale value. It is practical, economical and feature rich, though it’s not the best out there, it’s still plenty.

Thanks for reading!

[izzikio_rage]

Planning to get this today or tomorrow as well. What are the caution points I'll need to keep in mind if I plan a road trip with this next week? Some that people told me are

• No crossing 2000 rpm and 80 odd km

• No cruise control and avoid maintaining same speed for long periods of time

• Will keep the digital RC since the physical one will take time

What else am i missing, or is this a bad idea overall?

[izzikio_rage]

One quick question for all the Vitara owners. Do the rear seat seat belts have to be buckled all the time? It seems like the rear seats do not have a pressure/weight sensor and if the belt is not buckled it will keep beeping.

Is this the norm (very strange) or is this an issue with the car i got.

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by izzikio_rage

What else am i missing, or is this a bad idea overall?

It is not a bad idea at all. Since you are taking a road trip you might as well travel on highways and can get accustomed to your new car and can easily vary speeds too. More about what to take care posted here.

Originally Posted by izzikio_rage

It seems like the rear seats do not have a pressure/weight sensor and if the belt is not buckled it will keep beeping.

Yes that is correct. Not a Vitara owner but I have the same issue in the Hyryder.

Do the rear seat belts have to be buckled all the time?

I have done this since we don’t often use the 2nd row and to avoid the beeps. One more thing to note is the seatbelt sign warning would be displayed on the instrument console.

[nirmaljusdoit]

This is very much normal behaviour as the pressure sensors are eliminated and the seatbelt’s have to buckled up at all times !

[zaidmundewadi]

First 1000kms did feel a bit different for me, i wouldnt worry with the rpm and Cruise control limitations, i dont think few instances would do any damage to the engine. Yeah but i wont recommend full throttle anytime.
The seatbelt beeping is a bit of a bummer since it looks like a mess behind, but if its better to ensure safety then no complaints.

[izzikio_rage]

There were a lot of discussions on the smaller boot in the Grand Vitara. We managed to fill our mild hybrid with 2 full size suitcases, one air bag, laptop bag and a car tools bag.

Definitely not light packers

[Gedaliah]

Grand Vitara Mild Hybrid users - Could you please help me with a problem I am facing?
I have the GV Delta Mild Hybrid version. I am finding the headlights to be absolutely useless. I stay in a hilly area and the roads are all twists and turns. Has anyone tried anything to improve the lighting? I am open to any option that won't affect the warranty.

[Gedaliah]

Originally Posted by zaidmundewadi

I am sharing my purchase and first 1000kms experience with our new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Alpha MT.*

The car looks stunning in that color. Looks like the Nexa Blue is little different between various models they have. This color looks far better than the Nexa Blue of Baleno and Ignis.

[izzikio_rage]

Originally Posted by Gedaliah

Has anyone tried anything to improve the lighting? I am open to any option that won't affect the warranty.

Quite a few youtube videos detailed out the upgrade from halogens to LEDs to get better visibility. Sharing one i had seen, didn't try this as i went for the zeta witH LEDs

https://youtu.be/_zq7cLmwZpo?si=-qshvhKwDVBaPNUt

This is probably overkill and will void Warrenty. Guess you could get the dealership to swich to an LED option (55w i what the car has i think)

[Gedaliah]

Originally Posted by izzikio_rage

Quite a few Youtube videos detailed out the upgrade from halogens to LEDs to get better visibility.
This is probably overkill and will void Warrenty. Guess you could get the dealership to swich to an LED option (55w i what the car has i think)

I went through some of those videos. Almost all are about installing Chinese brands. I am not sure about the longevity, sturdiness and water resistance of these brands. I did a search on Amazon and found an Osram plug and play option. I guess I will give it a try. It is bit pricey and hopefully with Osram I will not be stranded on the road at night.