The XL6 arrived last month for a 3 month long term experience here at 91Wheels and as stated earlier, it did take us for a much needed break outside the limits of NCR. The vacation also saw the Maruti XL6 completing one month with us and here is a quick update on how it has been faring till now.
Date of arrival: 27th September
Odo at arrival: 13819
Odo currently: 14900
Fuel economy: 15-17 (highway), 12-14 (city)
As you can see above, the XL6 has covered over 1000km in the last one month. A major contribution to this was the 650km round trip to Bhimtal lake and back. Due to ample shoots and test cars coming in, the car was otherwise not used much inside Delhi NCR. Back to the trip, the XL6 took in four adults, two kids and luggage for the 4 day road trip. I wasn't expecting it to be so spacious but surprisingly, this Ertiga based Nexa offering did not disappoint us at all. Infact, individual seats in the 2nd row meant the kids could shuffle between this place and the 3rd row easily. Removal of a bench also gives a sense of airiness.
What we didn't like though was the comfort factor from the front two seats. Both me and dad shared the same opinion and we did have a mild back ache by the end of the trip. Likewise, the suspension, under such a load, doesn't take undulations pretty well. That said, the XL6 performed flawlessly and the torque push from the electric motor of the hybrid set-up comes very handy. This combined with short gearing meant the 3rd gear was used best between 25-40km/h, even on uphill sections. The LED lights also do their job pretty well and are useful for clearing out the right lane on open roads. In terms of fuel economy, it delivers an easy 17-18 kmpl with the cruise set at 90km/h and A/C running. Overall, for the Bhimtal trip, it returned over 15 kmpl which includes the hill driving. SHVS comes handy inside town when brake regen charges up the secondary battery that in turn powers the lil electric motor.
The Maruti XL6 will remain with us for a couple of more months and yes, another trip shall be planned up soon! The car will also go through our fuel economy run soon. Stay tuned...
