The Wagon R is a workhorse. It might not have the best design, features or performance, but what it does have is amazing practicality, reliability, comfort, and space. In short, it’s a great value-for-money product.
We haven’t just tested this car on the track, we’ve actually lived with this car because it’s been a part of our long-term fleet for quite some time now.
The cabin is simple, with neither the best quality levels nor fit-and-finish. However, it’s got the largest cabin in the segment, and passengers will find this car to be more spacious than even some larger and more expensive vehicles. It can seat five passengers quite easily, with plenty of legroom and headroom for each of them. Perhaps, that’s why the Wagon R has been one of the best-selling cars for Maruti Suzuki.
Another aspect of this car that really impresses is its wonderful 1.2-litre petrol engine. This engine offers 82bhp and 113Nm of torque and performs beautifully. The car accelerates pretty quick, and, with the manual transmission, you’ll actually enjoy driving it around the city or even on the highway. The AMT certainly robs it of this level of driver involvement, but it makes up for this in terms of convenience.
The car is pliant on all road surfaces, and the steering is light enough to make manoeuvrability in the city a breeze. Of course, when you push it you realise that it provides no steering feel at all, and the body roll resulting from its tall-boy design is very evident. That being said, since it’s light, and the engine is free-revving, it feels quite nimble in urban conditions.
The Wagon R remains an extremely practical machine, with better ingress and egress than virtually anything else on the market – something that’s won it plaudits and fans over the years. But it’s transportation at best, without any sense of emotion or desirability. If its practical and sensible personal transportation you want, you’ve come to the right place. For any more than that, look elsewhere.
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