Overview

The SX4 has gotten an automatic, and it's come knocking on its rival's door. How will the Honda City AT answer it? AUTO BILD INDIA finds out

Automatics the world over are seen as the most comfortable and obvious choice by buyers. The convenience of the transmission is favoured far ahead of the more ‘sporty’ manual. In India, however, there is a stigma about automatics, which has stuck on largely due to early offerings that were expensive and not as efficient as their manual counterparts.

With improving technology and changing lifestyle patterns, the automatic looks a far better choice today than it did ten years back. They are quicker and more efficient than their ancestors, are also more affordable, and in these constant gridlocks and jams are far more comfortable.

We took Maruti’s latest automatic, the SX4, freshly upgraded to Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) compliance, and pitted it against the only other automatic petrol in its segment - the Honda City automatic to see which auto saloon would come out on top.

Exterior & Interior

Maruti's dash is simple but very functional

It might have been derived from a crossover hatch, but the SX4 still looks good as a sedan

The SX4 and City are poles apart when it comes to looks. While the former has a quirky, aggressive, and upright look, the latter uses its sleekness to great effect. The low roofline and narrow headlights look great, and so does the Bavarian accented rear end. Not much has changed in the new SX4 – a honeycombe grille and new design alloy wheels are all that have been added. Alloy wheels have a great ability to change a car's appearance, and the new 10-spoke alloys on the SX4, which look very similar to those on larger European sedans, do just that. They lend an upmarket feel to the SX4, which challenges the image of the Honda brand that the City uses for leverage.

Interior design looks good now, but will date fast, steering rocker switches odd to use.

City borrows styling cues from the Civic and Accord to great effect, a big jump from its predecessor

Internally, the City manages to stay ahead of the SX4. Honda has improved the plastic quality since the car’s launch, and it now feels much better. The design is still very fresh and futuristic. The City still has no CD-player, a big miss even in this digital age as the USB/aux-in ports behind the system can get cumbersome. The new SX4 gets a two-toned beige-brown colour scheme, that does brighten the interior, but makes the plastic appear worse than when they were grey. Also Maruti has chosen to use dark faux wood on the door trims that could have been better quality, and don't match with the metal trims on the centre console.

While the City manages to trump the SX4 in front comfort, the SX4’s rears are better. The higher seats also make for more elegant ingress, and the SX4’s width help to seat three at the back.

Engine & Gearbox

Maruti Suzuki SX4 -1.6-litre engine gets VVT and BS4 upgrades,

Honda has had VTEC (Variable valve Timing and lift Electronic Control) on its engines for years, and it has proved quite fruitful, but now Maruti has also joined the bandwagon by introducing the VVT (Variable Valve Timing) on the 1.6-litre SX4 engine, along with bringing it up to BS IV norms. The revised engine doesn’t have big output numbers, in fact it has only two extra bhp, but VVT helps out in other areas such as engine smoothness, driveability and fuel economy.

Both manufacturers have opted for conventional automatic gearboxes, but it’s the Honda’s that stands out immediately. The 5-speed unit in the City also gets paddleshifters behind the steering wheel. While these are fun to use, it’s the ‘box that gets accolades. It is a smooth shifting box, and allows the City’s 1.5-litre VTEC engine to really run amok. Maruti on the other hand has opted for a 4-speed 'box, which probably does not do the improved engine justice. The kick-downs are slow, but once in gear the engine does well to propel the car. Another ratio and it would have been up there with the City. Drive both just once, and it is immediately clear that the latter has the better engine-transmission combo.

Honda City -i-VTEC engine comes back to its own after lacklustre second-gen City

On the road both offer good ride, though the SX4 does slightly better and its better ground clearance is a boon on our mixed surface roads, where the City threatens to bottom out. The SX4’s wider tyres also ensure better grip around bends than the City; the latter's economy geared thin tyres don’t inspire confi dence under hard cornering. Steering on both is comfort focused, and lack feedback. They both have a vague disconnect between the tyres and the inputs Depth max 985mm you are feeding them.

Dimensions

Scorecard & Verdict

Maruti Suzuki SX4- Maruti has made a well packaged car that stays true to its core values, which are its strongest points.

Honda City - It's a slim loss, which is perhaps because of its high price. It is often justified for the on the Grille.

Scorecard

Body: Despite feeling more airy, the SX4 has less legroom than the City, though you end up sitting more upright in the SX4, and hence don't use the space. In quality too, the City scores higher, despite suffering poor quality issues at launch. In other aspects the two are quite the same, including safety, where both employ ABS with EBD and twin airbags.

Drive: This is where the City makes most of its points. The Honda equals or outdoes the SX4 in all aspects regarding drive. Thanks to its 5-speed box, the City is quick, and is more driveable in traffic. The paddleshifts and Smode allow the driver to be more in control, with the SX4 losing out with its 4-speed unit. SX4's economy too suffers due to this.

Comfort: The SX4 fi ghts back in one of the most crucial aspects for a car – comfort. It scores a point better in all, except ride quality and front seating. Its ride is much better than the low City, and it feels better going over bad roads. The Honda, however, has better front seats that provide better all round support.

Dynamics: The SX4 runs wider tyres and the grip on offer is better than the thinly shod City. Both cars lack good steering response, and aren't cars geared towards the enthusiast. While the City, brakes better, the SX4 feels more stable when changing lanes. Another point for the wide tyres.

Cost: What it lost in performance, it gains here. The SX4 is about Rs 1.65 lakh cheaper than the City, both fully equipped. We just wished Maruti offered a better warranty, though both cars tested are coming with extended warranties from the company, Maruti's is shorter by a year and 20,000km.

Verdict

The Maruti Suzuki SX4 auto and the Honda City auto make for an interesting case. While the City has a more upmarket feel, and brand standing, the SX4 does enough to make its almost Rs 1.65 lakh cheaper pricetag count. It is spacious, well built and has Maruti's reliability and service network backing it. Buyers for either car will defi nitely feel the price pinch, but it's the SX4 that comes out as the better overall package of the duo, offering more bang for buck.