Jun 14, 2009 10:37 AM
9004 Views
(Updated Jun 14, 2009 10:40 AM)
OK much seems to have been written about the 10 year old car-Wagon R, probably Maruti’s oldest war horse after Maruti 800. So I am not going to write much about the technical specifications and details since they have already been mentioned in many other reviews.
Got the Wagon R Lxi model in December 2008 at a huge discount of almost 45 grand.
The LXi model features power steering, body coloured bumpers and AC and heater, manual central lock which are of interest. Then comes VXi version which is almost 26-27 grand more and the additional features include electrically adjustable OVRMS, tachometer, dual cabin lamps, front power windows etc etc., the list you can see at the website.
So how is the car?
In city riding, the car is a breeze to drive, the power steering is responsive enough to take sharp turns and squeeze between the traffic. Driving in city is easy and you don’t have any problems parking as well.
The engine is 1.1 litre, 63 bhp and yes you will find a difference in the pick up when the AC is off. But ofcourse for me who had a transition from an Alto to Wagon R, this is a welcome difference since Alto really cries when you try to hang around from 1st gear to 2nd gear with AC on. But yes, there is a distinct slag of pick up when the AC is on. This only happens for speeds from 20kms to 40kms in the 2nd to 3rd gear, but once adapted you will live with it and won’t feel any problems. (Even my new 1.2 Kappa i10 suffers in pickup with AC on-watch out for its separate review later)
Mileage wise, my Wagon R gives a good 16-17kmpl with AC on almost 75% in city with regular servicing and Speed petrol. On the highways just had one long trip to Surat during which it gave me an astonishing 19-20kmpl to the litre @ 70-80 Kmph.
Looks wise well there are people who hate it and there are few who like it. But all I would say is the new Wagon R is quite good looking with the Roof rails and the integrated side lamps in the MFRs. So it does notl take the boxy image that it had years ago. And ofcourse here in Ahmedabad, you will find every alternate car, the Wagon R.
Space wise, there are loads of spaces here and there, the boot is large enough to accommodate suitcases, there are spaces beneath the steering wheel to keep your glares there is a can holder, there are magazine/paper holders in the front doors, there are spaces to keep your toll tickets, petrol bills etc below the ac controls.
Getting in and out of the car is a big plus because of its height. Also the cabin looks more heavy then the other Maruti cars and seems more safe. The wheels are small though.
Negatives aren’t really too many but yes no machine is perfect so this one isn’t as well.
The interiors could have been much much better. Somehow I don’t understand why Maruti uses the same old grey plastic which is cheap looking. Even in Swift you don’t feel you have a 4.6 L car with the grey interiors. Estilo has beige tone to it so why not Wagon R. Now in Ritz MUL has tried to change the pattern, but the interiors in Ritz look overly done and showy. Interiors are a big no for me in Wagon R.
Secondly if you are having a height of 5.11, then forget about viewing the Speedo directly. Because the steering wheel co-incides with the Speedo in the dash and hence I have to knip down a little bit to see the Speedo.
Thirdly the AC controls are the same as in Alto, even the backlight is the same orange colour in an Alto. Some new controls, new backlights even the green in the speedo would work.
The reverse gear problem is still present although compared to the old Wagon R’s its less frequent, but it is still there, the reverse gear sometimes wont engage and hence you will get at thud when you engage the reverse gear.
Overall the positives are many, the negatives are there but can be ignored since the overall maintenance and cost of ownership is less, Maruti brand name along with WagonR will leave you with a happy sleep once you own it.
Oh by the way if you are confused between Zen Estillo, Santro, i10 Era/Delite, then I would recommend Wagon R, looking into the current petrol prices and costs Wagon R will any day provide a better mileage than the Hyundai’s, yes i10’s are anyday good looking and better in interiors and features, more refined gear box but will cost you more. Regarding Zen, it’s the same engine as in Wagon R, new shape, new interiors but it looks more boxy. However the view of looks is on the person’s perspective so it depends on you which one you go for.
