2022 Maruti Nexa XL6 Engine Review - Driving & Performance Petrol Manual And Automatic

2022 Maruti Nexa XL6 - Petrol Engine And Transmissions

Maruti have introduced a new 1.5L hybrid petrol engine with dual-jet technology in the 2022 Nexa XL6 facelift. Check- out the table below to find out how it compares to the old engine in terms of power, torque and fuel efficiency.

The new 1.5L hybrid petrol engine of the new XL6 produces 103PS of power and 137Nm of torque. This engine produces 2PS of power and 1Nm of torque lower than the older engine. However, it returns 1.96kmpl to 2.28kmpl more than the older engine. With a claimed fuel efficiency of 20.27kmpl, the new XL6 1.5L automatic is 12.6% more fuel-efficient than the old  XL6 with its 4-speed automatic transmission.

2022 Maruti Nexa XL6 City Highway Mileage - Petrol Manual & Auto

The figures listed above are the official numbers released by Maruti Suzuki. When we drove the old XL6 extensively, it delivered an overall fuel efficiency of 15-16kmpl. As the claimed mileage figures have gone up, we expect the new engine to deliver more mileage in the real world as well.

When we drove the new XL6 5-speed manual on the highway at a constant speed of 100kmph, the engine was cruising at 2700rpm. At this speed, with 5th gear engaged, the car showed an instantaneous fuel efficiency of around 20kmpl.

We also drove the new XL6 with its new, 6-speed TC automatic transmission. On the highway at a constant speed of 100kmph, the engine was cruising at 2000rpm. At this point, the car showed an instantaneous fuel efficiency of around 20kmpl. Hence, there is not much difference between the fuel efficiency of these 2 transmissions despite a significant difference in 100kmph cruising RPMs.

2022 Maruti Nexa XL6 - NVH And Refinement

Like the old XL6’s engine, the new engine is refined too. Hence, you do not hear its noise or feel much of its vibrations inside the cabin. As we stated earlier, in manual transmission, the engine was cruising at 2700rpm at a constant speed of 100kmph. At this stage, the engine felt a little strained, although it was still revving under its peak torque band, which comes at 4400rpm.

The automatic transmission, due to its added 6th gear, was cruising at 2000rpm at the same speed. The engine here was cruising in a considerably relaxed state when compared to the manual transmission.

2022 Maruti Nexa XL6 - Automatic Transmission Review

The new XL6 trades in the old 4-speed automatic transmission for a new 6-speed TC automatic transmission. The added gears made high-speed cruising more comfortable. Additionally, it should also help in increasing the fuel efficiency as it will rev at comparatively lower RPMs at highway speeds.

The gear shifts in the automatic transmission are smooth and the transmission is intuitive. The new automatic transmission adapts to your driving style and depending on your throttle input, it changes the shift points. If you drive casually and in a relaxed manner, it will upshift at or below 2000rpm. On the other hand, if you press the accelerator pedal hard, it will rev all the way up to 6000rpm and hold its gears.

There are no drive modes on offer in the new XL6, but it does come with the option to manually shift gears. To shift gears in manual mode, you need to rely on the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel and not on the gear stick. The gear changes from the paddle shifters are quick. However, we found that the regular automatic mode does the job well unless you want to take full control over the transmission.

2022 Maruti Nexa XL6 - Performance, Handling and Ride Quality

Even though power and torque have gone down slightly and weight has gone up, we did not feel any significant drop in performance. The new XL6 continues to drive like how a normal petrol engine-powered car should. It is not very energetic, nor lethargic. It is suitable to drive in the city as well as on the highway and does not feel underpowered unless you desire a very quick overtake.

The 2022 Nexa XL6 now comes with 16-inch wheels. It gets low rolling resistance tyres to help improve fuel efficiency. While we expected a slight loss in grip due to these new tyres, we did not encounter any compromise in road grip or excessive road noise. The new XL6 also feels confident while maintaining a straight line on the highways or while changing lanes. The ride quality of the XL6 continues to be comfortable in all three rows. We found the braking performance of the new XL6 to be adequate as well.

Verdict - 2022 Maruti Nexa XL6 Engine Driving Review

Overall, the new engine of the XL6 is inherently refined in nature, and Maruti claims it is more fuel-efficient as well. The added gears in the automatic transmission have improved the high-speed cruising ability of the car. So, if you drive on highways frequently, you could opt for the automatic transmission over the manual without compromising fuel efficiency. We did miss the 6th gear in the manual transmission, which would have significantly aided the cruising ability of the car. However, even without it, we have nothing to complain about the dynamics of the car.

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