The MID seemes to be grossly overestimating the fuel efficiency of the car.
BHPian haridsv recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Here is my quick review with the hope that others find some useful tidbits (sorry, no pictures, but there are plenty out there anyway).
I got my ZX CVT Materiod Grey delivered on 1/11 with 17km on the odometer. On my way home, I filled the tank at an HP bunk. However, I noticed at the time of payment that they had filled the premium version without asking me. My Figo is diesel, and I’m not accustomed to seeing different qualities offered, so I didn’t pay attention to this. On the next day, I had a short city drive and observed a maximum of 12.4kmpl on the MID.
We took the car for a weekend drive from Hyderabad to Vijayawada (3 people with light luggage), covering about 670km back and forth. I initially limited the speed to 85kmph, and observed that the MID peeked at 18.4kmpl. Later, I turned on cruise control (set to 90), but by that time the traffic increased. This made the cruise control less effective but I continued using it.
After reaching our destination, the mileage on MID decreased a little to 18. Though I am sure increased traffic had a role to play, I feel ACC made it worse (see below). The actual mileage at the time of the next fill turned out to be just 15.75 (520.3km for 33.04l), so the MID seemed to be grossly overestimating.
I actually used premium petrol so I wonder what my mileage would have been with regular petrol. On the return journey, the traffic was heavy, but I pushed it a little harder to reach 100kmph whenever possible. At the end of the trip, the trip mileage was 677.6km with 16.7kmpl on the MID, so I expect the actual mileage to be less.
Overall, we enjoyed the drive, and it brought back my memories of driving a 2004 Camry automatic in the US (not sure if it was CVT). What I loved the most about the car:
- The smooth steering and ride
- Headlights
- Large side mirrors
- Collision warning system
I was disappointed with:
- Bluetooth doesn’t automatically reconnect. After a manual connect, Android Auto needed to be toggled on through the device BT options, sometimes 2 to 3 times. This was a significant inconvenience every time we stopped the car. I even had Android Auto crash and act like there was never a trip. I’m not sure if it’s an integration issue or bugs in Android Auto itself. Also, using multiple phones is a hassle, even basic BT audio became a pain to use and there are many odd things that I have noticed that I don’t want to get into now. My 10-year-old Figo is so much better in this regard, though it had no display or Android Auto. I can pair with multiple devices and the last device automatically reconnects.
- Some buttons, like the passenger window controls, lack lighting, causing me to fumble for them in the dark.
- Mileage
I purchased the following accessories from the dealer after studying the recommendations here:
- Mud guards
- Cover
- Cargo tray
- Step illumination
- Door handle protector
- Tailgate entry guard
- Dashcam
I purchased the dashcam even though I wasn’t very satisfied. I had expected them to do hardwiring and even confirmed with them a few days ahead. However, right before the delivery, they said they couldn’t hardwire it as the kit didn’t come with any wiring. I asked if they could still do it with additional wiring, but they were doubtful about not voiding the warranty. If I had known that they would just plug it into the 12v adapter, I would have purchased something better online. However, I didn’t have time to get one for my upcoming trip, so I decided to go ahead. It is a very basic device for the price paid and doesn’t even have an emergency button to preserve the current clip.
I also opted for ceramic coating for 20k+GST, but I haven’t noticed a significant difference in the paint appearance or feel. I will have to pay closer attention to the perceived benefits.
I also bought the below per an earlier recommendation on this thread:
- Floor mats (really nice!)
- Screen guard (yet to come)
The ACC feature shows promise, but I found it to be overly sensitive or pessimistic about the distance from the preceding vehicle and applying brakes too soon. When the vehicle is cleared, it accelerates too aggressively to reach the preset. I couldn’t locate a specific setting to tweak the sensitivity, so I assume the “Preceding Vehicle Proximity Warning Distance” is also applicable here. This setting defaults to the middle value of “Normal”, so I will try the lower “Near” value to see if it is to my liking.
In general, I feel ACC is most usable in light traffic only. In medium traffic, it can be used but will not be fuel-efficient and will be unusable in heavy traffic. The lane departure warning is helpful when it is on, but I’m not sure why it switches off sometimes. The auto-dimming on the rearview mirror worked well, but the auto-high beam seemed to lag behind. I can literally count the number of times it was switched on using my fingers and it never stayed on for more than 1 or 2 seconds.
Even if you discount the genuine reasons such as street lights, oncoming traffic and vehicle proximity, there were plenty of other opportunities where the high beam was desirable but it didn’t turn on. Even when there was a solid plantation in the median, a little bit of light does leak through the gaps in the branches and leaves and that was enough to turn off the high beam. However, the high beam itself is very effective and I am satisfied with the horn as well. The collision warning activated a few times when there was nothing that I could notice, but it wasn’t bothersome.
Keyword: Elevate CVT ownership report: All the likes & disappointments so far