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-   -   Crossing into the grays: Maruti S-Cross Zeta granite gray petrol (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/242698-crossing-into-grays-maruti-s-cross-zeta-granite-gray-petrol-3.html)

Who says TeamBHP is only about cars! It's so much about emotions, and that's why it's a cult. You have put up your childhood anecdotes so well. I came here to comment just after finishing reading "the flashback" and before your actual car review started. I feel fortunate to be able to stay with my father and have dinner with him almost every evening and occasionally cooking together. Reading your first few paragraphs, I feel I should try to spend an hour or two more at home everyday.

Reading this made me a fan of the S-Cross. Great write up and wish you many happy miles ahead. Now your son will have those memories you had in your Van :)

What a read! Congratulations!
I have no experience with the K15B but there's a Swift in the family with the K12B. Man, does it sound good!? Oh yes!

However, what isn't up my alley is MSIL handling. After driving the Superb and the Vento, I'd feel very nervous about the Swift's steering.

Maybe Superb's sloppy-yet-accurate handling has rubbed off on me, who knows?

I wish you many happy KMs, the S-Cross is the most un-Maruti Maruti out there.

Congratulations on the purchase @KNRN. S-Cross is indeed an excellent vehicle.

Time will fly and one day you will be sitting in the passenger seat, teaching your kid to drive, with you father watching over both of you from above

Thanks @ksubram. Fathers are irreplaceable. Many a times we take them for granted realising their importance only when they are gone. I was lucky to have discovered a father’s love early. Hence the tribute.
I get emotional while writing. Perhaps it is these hidden emotions that you liked. Big thanks.

Thanks @dust-n-bones. You have captured the best lines. Reading them again tugged at my heart. Thank you for your kind words.
Thanks Bluey. I appreciate you valuing my father’s tribute. I am glad I could re kindle some childhood memories of yours. Thanks for the blessings.

Thanks @amitjha086. Team bhp is a platform where one can write his heart out and that is why you will find some very strong sentiments and emotions in all threads here. Making a big purchase and getting to write about it is a pleasure given to us by this forum. Please convey my deepest regards to your father. He seems like a very nice man.

Thanks @AZT. Hopefully yes. If I can give my son what my father gave me, I will be a lucky man.
Thanks @vredesbyrd. Although the scross is the most unmaruti like Maruti out there with a good ride and handling, it still is far from the prowess that the Germans and Czechs offer. They are in a different league. Comparing s cross to them would be wrong. But still it is the best from the Maruti stable. Thanks once again.
Thanks @ TSEA. your comment made me teary eyed.


Dear brethren, I just wanted to write a car review. But then all that I have learnt, is from my navigator and guide- my father. I just wanted to express my thanks to him and before you know, those thoughts turned into words and words into whole paragraphs. Emotional paragraphs. As I have already said. Fathers are irreplaceable. What I wanted to write as a car review has turned out into a lovely tribute too but what makes this whole thing special is the appreciation you all have lauded upon it. I hope that for the duration the s cross is with me, it will create many more such stories.

Thank you all for your appreciation.

Of course and he is with us, through you.
He would have loved the S-Cross too and would have also posted on the S-Cross review asking MSIL for more power :)

Also there is something about your pics which make the S-Cross look particularly captivating, maybe its the lighting and angle or maybe its the Transformer at work but they're like you said, drool worthy :thumbs up

Looking forward to more of your threads.

Thanks for those kind words.
Yes I agree, scross is a car that can surely handle more power and be a hooty hoonigan to drive.

Had to work hard to get those drool worthy pics. I am glad you appreciated them. It’s the lighting when the sun is behind and also partly the transformer secretly showing its powers. rl:

Congratulations on your new car.
S-Cross is a beautiful gem out of Maruti's stable.
Wishing you many happy miles with the car.

I'm on the verge of buying a Zeta MT too. Would appreciate it if you can answer the following.

1 How are the NVH like? A few posts on the forum had some not so good things to say.

2 What is the fuel effeciency in the city now?

3 can you touch upon the seating comfort (especially thigh support) both in the back and front. My dad and I both are 6'3''.

4 What stopped you from upgrading the tyres initially itself?

5 Anything else that you would like to add to a prospective buyer after having used it for a couple of months.

Thank you so much. It is a hidden gem. One discovers its virtues slowly.
Hi hardshock. Hope you are doing well. For your queries, well here goes.
1. NVH is well a mixed bag. Hardly any at idle or city speeds. The engine is audible beyond 2500 rpm but it is that high rpm engine noise. A little bassy. Not very intrusive, just so much to let you know what the engine is doing. I kind of like the engine sound as I rev. But then due to the engine noise, one feels like coming back down to sane speeds around 2500 rpm which is the sweetest spot. On the highway, wind noise is not much, only the discerning will appreciate. Tyre noise is a bit prominent. They will let you know what kind of road surface your are on. The suspension is silent. Cabin is well built and no rattles.
It is not silent and cocooning like the creta though. You will be very much aware of your surroundings but it is much much better than my santro.

2. FE in city being mostly driven in 3rd gear occasionally touching 4th is around 11.8. On the highway it’s a mixed bag. Varying from as low as 15 to as high as 17.6.

3. Back and side bolstering is excellent. Thigh comfort is okayish on front. The seat base is not very large so. But not something I would complain about. I am 5’8” and it is pretty ok for me. Rear seats because one gets a very long leg room and can easily stretch out, seat comfort is very good.

4. Budget was my main constraint for not upgrading tyres upfront. Moreover now the car comes with JK UX Royales. They are pretty decent. Better than the kenda or nexxen as some other brands come with. They are a bit hard mind you but given the road conditions I find them decent enough. My next change of tyres, I will surely go in for michelins.
5. Well I had done a lot of research before buying this one, so I was indirectly aware of most things. I am truly impressed by the suspension and high speed dynamics. Also the comfort that a big sized hatchback brings. One pointer though, the car has a very good bottom end. Low end torque is very nice. But it is not as freely revving as the 1.2 motors. It behaves more like a diesel if I may say. So initially many a times I was caught on the wrong foot during overtaking. Now that I have gotten used to the engine powerband it has become easy. It is a big petrol, takes some time to kick as compared to my santro but the power keeps coming. Even at 140, the car feels very relaxed.
This is a spacious practical car for a family. It gets almost everything done. From being a comfortable cruiser to being a fast rocket, it drives well across the spectrum. And all of this makes a lot more sense when one considers the price. Nothing else is close for the sheer value this vehicle brings in at this pricepoint.

The only thing I would have wanted to change is the speakers. Although it sounds decent but not audiophile level. Rest it is a peaceful buy. I am quite happy with it.

Thank you for sharing this ownership experience along with a personal touch. One of the best I have ever read, Cars without emotions is like a home without family. It will be hollow inside out.

Wishing you a lot of memorable miles on your drive. Thank you once again, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Hello brethren.
The thread had been inactive for a while and well so was I.
I had come face to face with the problem surrounding everything nowadays- Corona. Thank god it was the Omicron. But it still took a toll on me. While my wife and son remained asymptomatic (Thank God for that) , I had it for the worse. Was down with fever and severe chills for a week. The weakness and ensuing dehydration and post covid gastropathy made recuperating very difficult. It has been a month. I am back to work but still I feel a part of me is missing. Like it has taken something away from me. Time being a great healer is making me get better slowly but still like time- it takes time.

The Scross had been lying idle for quite some time. Every 3-4 days I would go down to start her and warm her up. But didn’t have the energy to take it out. As luck would have it, the streets are dug up. I wonder why every time before the elections, all the streets get dug up. Now god knows when they will be fixed again but they had no problem to begin with in the first place. This means that taking the car out is a pain. My heart aches when I crawl slowly over the dug up roads and the remaining good ones are so so congested. Anyways I am just lamenting here.


So one day, one fine weekend actually, I took her out for what she truly was yearning for- a highway drive. A sedate long highway drive. Went to my native place Batala. Now one has to go till Beas which is 35 kms and take a turn towards single lane carriageway congested with tractor trolleys which are overloaded and make overtaking a pain or one can continue straight till Amritsar and turn towards Batala which increases the distance to 115 kms one way but it is all butter smooth Tarmac. Of course it ensures that I encounter 2 tolls but that is a small price to pay for the peace and comfort of mind. I fall in love with the car evermore as I drive. The highway manners are exquisite. The ride is cocooning. Speeds are relative but I always drive around 85-90 and use engine braking a lot. Helps recharge the SHVS.
Traffic till Amritsar is heavy. I have a notion- when one drives, one can roughly see a kilometre of Road Ahead. Normally I would see 3-4 cars ahead of me. Now it is entirely filled up. Car after car after car all fighting in a never ending race. Plus there will always be someone at the toll plaza who doesn’t want to pay and will be fighting this blocking a lane and creating a jam. Hear me this throughout the roughly 230 kms I drove never even once did I touch 100. Now you can imagine.

Driving in Punjab provides one soothing experience though. Lush green fields on both sides of the road. It feels so pristine and enigmatic. Plus you have some good dhabas on the way for stopping by and taking a tea/ pee break.

I have always found highway drives relaxing and the comfort of the S cross makes it even more alluring. Now I will let pictures do the talking. Didn’t have my dslr so had to use my phone. But then did some heavy post processing.

Wishing you full strength ASAP.
The Transformer is going to help you with that, seems like it already is :)

These words are proof of someone with their perfect car.
But seems more like someone possessed by the Transformer :D

Nice pics and welcome back.
Enjoy the drives.

Hey there Shancz. While quoting your post I couldn’t decide what to cut out. You have actually described me exactly as I would have. Thank you so much for the kind words. We seem to have quite a few common interests. Got something for the car. And I will dedicate it to you. See attached pics.

Coming back to the protagonist of the thread. The car. I feel terrible the way my colony roads have been dug up. And it has been more than a month. I absolutely don’t feel like subjecting the car to such a torture so yes she has been lying idle for quite some time.

But it is still a pleasure just sitting in it.

Last month I had to make an impromptu trip to Udhampur in Jammu. Total of 670 kms. Had received a bad news. So started at 10.30 in the night with family and a full load. The highways in Punjab are really well put up. The car performed excellently well for the night. Driving with a full load and maintaining three digit speeds was effortless. Every time I drive this one I fall more in love with it. The drive till Pathankot was relaxed. Filled up fuel from Damtal just before Pathankot. Petrol is cheaper there than in Punjab, since it is the only portion that lies in Himachal on this highway, a pointer to folks who wish to travel on this stretch. The Bharat petroleum pump is open 24*7. Reached there at 12.30. Had the tasty moong dal pakodas at Lakhanpur and resumed. The Jammu Udhampur highway is a dream stretch to drive on. This is the road to drive on if one likes revving and the twistys. Anyways reached at 4.30 am, attended the morning ceremony and headed back by 2.00 pm and was back by 9. Fe was around 17 speeds being mostly 100-110. So though this was a hectic drive but the Scross was brilliant. Having gotten used to the engine by now, the progressive nature of this torquey Petrol is a sweet experience and the suspension is just brilliant. I apologise as I do not have any pics since I didn’t stop anywhere specific and the mood was very somber. But the car is a genius one gets to understand slowly. The drive becomes more rewarding as one moves. It’s been a month. The car has been parked idle and except for the compulsory start up every 3 days she has not seen much action. Hoping for the roadwork to begin so that I may continue on new adventures.

And this is what my colony looks like. Badly dug up. So the Bullet is my daily drive for now. And it eats such roads up for breakfast.

The car- standing still and sad.

And the little something I got for my car @shancz.

- Yup, the Transformer's spell has been cast on both of us :)
Very apt addition/offering, the Transformer will be smiling.
Honoured to have anything dedicated from the Transformer, Thanks a lot.

- Ditto on this too, sitting in the car inside the garage is very relaxing, a habit from my teenages though getting rarer.

Sorry for your loss.
Thanks for the tips and sharing your experience. 17kmpl is good for those speeds.

Your trip highlights the importance of reliability and comfort being topmost priorities in any vehicle.
I have always maintained that the place you live and the vehicle you drive should always be relaxing to come back to after a long and tough day else they're making the day worse.

Wish you well, you're in good hands and hopefully the Transformer casts its spell on the road works too :)