Maruti Suzuki XL6

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 blends the spacious, practical and sensible formula of the Ertiga with some SUV flavour for those who like a more rugged look for their family car. Design aside, the XL6 also gets a few more features to deliver a more premium experience. Having lived with XL6 for a few months, there’s a lot I’ve learnt to like about this car and there are some things I’m missing. Here’s the detailed review.

Viewed head-on, the XL6 manages to look quite tough. The large LED headlights with integrated DRLs add a sense of heft to the front fascia especially when coupled with the chrome bar on the front grille.

The side profile reveals the XL6’s MPV underpinnings but Maruti’s thrown in a heavy dose of body cladding, along with roof rails to make the car look more SUV-like. The XL6 also rides on 16-inch alloy wheels that give it a more balanced stance than the Ertiga, which gets 15-inch wheels only.

Other changes include a redesigned front fender to accommodate the larger wheels and blacked-out B and C pillars. At the rear, you get a new roof-mounted spoiler, shark fin antenna, chrome strip on the boot lid and smoked effect tail lamps that look sporty. 

The colour options include a good deal of variety. I personally like the Nexa Blue colour and you can also have the car in Bluish Black, Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Opulent Red and Brave Khaki. The last 3 colours are also available in a black two-tone but only in the full-loaded Alpha+ variant.

Design & Quality

While the exterior has some flashy touches, the interior follows a theme of keeping it simple but easy on the eyes. A black AC vent panel splits the dashboard in half and is underlined by a large black and grey panel to add a premium touch. The all black cabin looks more premium than the Ertiga’s but there’s no notable difference in cabin quality itself. Fitment quality is good but it doesn’t feel as rich as the Kia Carens Clavis. That being said, you do get leatherette upholstery for the seats as well as some soft-feel padding on the doorpads.

The glass area is quite massive and the dashboard is set a little low so you get the full benefit of great all-round visibility. Thanks to this, the black interior doesn’t feel restrictive when it comes to the sense of space. 

Front Seats

The seats feel comfortable on both short and long journeys, as both the cushioning and support are equally good. They’re also quite large in size and supportive of people with broad shoulders. A height-adjustable driver’s seat comes as standard as does tilt and telescopic steering-adjustment, making life easier for tall drivers in particular.

Rear Seats (2nd Row)

Getting into the 2nd row is a breeze thanks to the doors that open wide and the floor that’s just high enough. The big difference vs the Ertiga and what chauffeur-driven owners will like are the captain seats. This also means the XL6 only seats 6, not 7.

Headroom, knee room, and foot room are ample, but the seat base is a little small so underthigh support could’ve been better. Rear occupants also get individual armrests but there are no cupholders here which is a big miss. While the black interior doesn’t affect the sense of space here either, the large front headrests do cut into forward visibility. 

Captain seats aside, the XL6’s rear seat doesn’t have much by way of amenities. No fold out work table/tray nor do you get sunblinds.

Rear Seats (3rd Row)

Getting into the XL6’s 3rd row requires some effort because the middle seats don’t tumble and fold completely. Thankfully, the door aperture is wide enough that the space to get into the 3rd row is still manageable even for adults. The entry-way feels slightly narrower than the Ertiga’s but once in, users up to 5.7-5.8 ft in height will be quite comfortable here with someone of the same height ahead of them. Maruti also says you can walk in between the middle-seat to get behind but the gap in between the seats isn’t that wide if you’re an adult trying to get into the last row.

Once in there, the seats feel rather usable and comfortable for short journeys. Yes, you sit in a knees-up position, which restricts underthigh support. So they won’t be the most comfortable for adults on long distance journeys, but kids won’t have any complaints here. The backrest angle can also be adjusted based on your passenger comfort/luggage space requirements.

The third row itself doesn’t have dedicated AC vents but the roof mounted AC console in the middle row has four vents and does well to get cool air to the back of the car. Subsequently, the XL6 is a good pick not only for those who want a 6-7 seater but also for pet owners.

Storage Options

The XL6 is plenty practical. All four doors get 1-litre door pockets along with some additional storage space for dusting cloth or small items. The center console has two cooled cup holders that work well with metallic bottles and soft drink cans. You can also place your phone here if it's getting too hot. There’s a tray ahead where you can keep your phone, wallet, or keys. Your spare change and receipts can be stored in the compartment next to the steering wheel.

The glovebox is generous and can store plenty of knick knacks. Second row passengers can store their magazines or phones in the seat back pockets and you also get a small slot to stow your mobile phone but there are no cupholders. For storage, third row occupants get a cupholder each.

Charging Options

For charging, there’s a 12V socket in every row along with a USB socket for the front passengers. While many new age Maruti Suzukis have gained type-C charge ports, they’re still missing in the XL6.

Features

The XL6 gets all the basic equipment needed for your everyday commutes but gets a few more features to improve cabin comfort and safety.

Apart from these features, you get a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Its user interface is easy to use, and it also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Opt for the Alpha or Alpha+ variants and you get the SmartPlay Pro touchscreen that also supports these functions wirelessly. Notably, Maruti does offer a bigger, 9-inch touchscreen with other models in its range that runs a slightly updated but largely similar user interface.

The system runs smoothly and comes paired with a 6-speaker sound system. The sound quality is acceptable at best and occupants in the rear rows will find it quite flat. The XL6 also gets front ventilated seats which are a bit noisy at full speed but make life easier during the summers.

The XL6 gets four airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold assist, rear defogger, rear washer/wiper, LED front fog lamps, rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat anchors as standard. The higher variants add a highline tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), along with a 360-degree camera. Also offered is connected car tech to monitor the car’s health, location and driving patterns.

The XL6 has not been crash tested by Global NCAP or Bharat NCAP. However, Global NCAP crash tested the Ertiga in 2019 where the car received 3/5-stars for both adult and child occupant safety. The XL6 is based on the Ertiga.

its lower setting, you can get a medium-sized suitcase and a full sized suitcase in, provided the backrest is set at an upright angle. With the third-row folded down, there’s around 550-litres of space available, which can take in multiple big suitcases, 2-3 cabin sized bags and some soft bags too. Unlike the Ertiga, though, the XL6’s middle-row doesn’t fold flat.

In the CNG variant, Maruti’s done a good job of covering the CNG cylinder, which leaves you with some usable boot space. In our boot space tests, with all three rows up, you can easily fit two duffle bags. However, if the third row seats are fully reclined, the space reduces and you can no longer fit these bags. As a 4-seater, the boot can accommodate three suitcases and 2 trolley bags easily - courtesy of the split 50:50 and flat-fold function for the last row.

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 gets a single 1.5-litre petrol engine option, which can be paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. This engine is also offered with a factory-fitted CNG kit, and the CNG variants only get a manual transmission.

1.5-litre Petrol

The refinement levels are clear right from when you start this engine up. Noise and vibrations are minimal and even under heavy acceleration, but the auto engine start/stop of the mild-hybrid does get annoying as you can feel the car starting up each time.

City Performance

When it comes to city driveability, there are no complaints from the engine and gearbox or either one of the gearboxes. The manual transmission offers light gear changes but you will have to dial in a few extra revs to move off from a stop if you have more passengers on board.  The mild-hybrid assistance does help while driving through traffic and also helps pickup when in higher gears. While driving the automatic, the engine feels smooth and picks up speed from lower RPMs without any reluctance. The transmission too is tuned for smoothness while driving and offers jerk-free gear changes for the most part. 

Keeping up with smooth flowing traffic is no hassle and overtakes are managed easily too. Depending on the driving conditions you can get around 13kmpl in the city with the manual and 11kmpl with the automatic.

Highway Performance

The gaps in the engine’s capabilities are more noticeable on the highway. While the XL6 will get up to 80-90kmph with ease, the climb from thereon needs you to push the engine a bit. High speed overtakes or driving on the ghats will need a downshift or two and especially if you have a full passenger load, you will have to be generous with your throttle inputs. While driving through the ghats you can use the paddle-shifters of the automatic to drop gears. Since the transmission generally likes to upshift early, you can slip the gear selector into manual mode (M) to hold onto the gear you want.

Calm inter-city cruising, though, is something the XL6 is very happy to do. Depending on traffic, you can get around 17kmpl with the manual and 18-19kmpl with the automatic as the latter cruises at lower revs at high speeds thanks to the presence of a 6th gear.

Note: XL6 CNG Performance

The Maruti XL6 CNG’s drive experience is quite consistent even with the switch to CNG. You will barely feel any difference between CNG and petrol, even if you’re driving in the city or on the highway. It picks up speed in a linear fashion, similar to its petrol counterpart. Ample low-end torque and a strong mid-range, both make it very easy to drive around in the city. That, coupled with a slick gearbox and a lightweight clutch, makes city driving a breeze.

In our performance tests, the XL6 CNG managed similar in gear acceleration times as the petrol while the difference in 0-100kmph performance was under 2 seconds (petrol being quicker)

Once you’re on the highways, you will need to plan your overtakes accordingly, which applies to the petrol-only version as well. As long as you have a relaxed driving style, you won’t notice a very sharp difference between the petrol and CNG XL6.

Ride Comfort

The Maruti XL6 offers a comfortable ride during the in-city drives. You will feel comfortable going over speed breakers and small potholes and at most, what you do experience is some side-to-side movement over uneven roads. At high speeds, the XL6 feels planted and sits steady even at speeds above 100kmph. While the ride is balanced over most surfaces in the 1st and 2nd row, the 3rd row occupants will feel surface changes a bit more easily. If you’re cruising on the highway with passengers in the last row, best stick to speeds of 80-90kmph for their comfort.

Handling

Driving the XL6 is very easy even in crowded city streets. The steering is light, gear changes are convenient and it feels no more difficult to drive through traffic than any sedan. But if you’re driving with full load and carry a higher speed on a bump that’s sharper than your usual, the suspension compresses and runs out of travel, leading to a sharp sound. So just be mindful of your speed with a full load inside. 

On the highway, what we would’ve liked was for the steering to weigh up more. It feels a touch too light and isn’t particularly rich in feedback which makes for a slightly less connected experience while driving at high speeds or through curvy roads.

• The Maruti XL6 is available in three variants: Zeta, Alpha, and Alpha+.

• While the automatic transmission can be had in all variants, CNG is only available with the base.

Zeta

• Only CNG variant in the entire lineup.

• Gets 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, all LED lighting elements, and a shark fin antenna.

• The cabin gets black fabric seats, silver accents, and stone-like finish on the dashboard.

• For infotainment, it comes with a 7-inch touchscreen, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and 6 speakers.

• Features include automatic climate control, push button start/stop, cruise control, and electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs,

• The safety kit gets 4 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold assist, rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

Alpha

• Adds gloss finish to the B- and C-pillars.

• The cabin becomes more premium with a leather wrapped steering wheel and leatherette seat upholstery.

• Infotainment gets a voice assistant, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and an Arkamys tuned 6-speaker sound system

• The only major feature addition is auto headlamp function.

• The safety kit gets a 360-degree camera.

Alpha+

• Exterior upgrades include a rear spoiler, chrome garnish on fenders, and dual-tone colour options.

• Feature additions include a tyre pressure monitoring system and ventilated front seats.

CarDekho Recommends

• Go for the base-spec Zeta variant if you’re on a budget or if you want a CNG powertrain. It gets a good design, all basic daily use features, and comes with the option of an automatic transmission.

• Pick the mid-spec Alpha variant if you want a more premium cabin with better features. Only go for the Alpha+ if you want ventilated front seats, otherwise skip.

The Maruti Suzuki XL6’s formula is a different yet similar take on what makes buyers like the Ertiga. It retains the qualities of space, practicality and usability while chucking in a few more convenience and safety features while maintaining affordability as a selling-point. That being said, the Kia Carens Clavis objectively offers MUCH more at similar price points, including a punchier petrol engine and the option of a diesel.

Other Cars To Consider

Maruti Ertiga/ Toyota Rumion

Reasons To Consider

• More comfortable ride quality

• More affordable

Reasons To Ignore

• Typical MPV design looks old

• Less third row space

• Less features

Renault Triber

Reasons To Consider

• Much more affordable

Reasons To Ignore

• Cabin feels outdated and cheap

• Less features