The Maruti Suzuki Wagon R delivers an enjoyable ride quality thanks to its low curb weight and peppy K-series engines.

Engine Options Tested

Driving Experience: Real World

Our road tests were conducted in Udaipur to gauge how the tall-boy handles different environments. We found that the car’s light steering and tight turning radius of 4.7 metres make it easy to park and traverse tight lanes. However, the suspension is a bit soft, so body roll and vertical movements are possible when tackling corners at high speeds.

1.0-litre K10C Petrol

This entry-level 1.0-litre Dual Jet engine has three cylinders. In city traffic, it feels enough to drive, as it offers decent low-end grunt for bumper-to-bumper commutes. But when pushed hard on the highway, the engine struggles to go past 100 kmph. This can make overtaking challenging.
According to Siddharth,
“This engine benefits from the lighter HEARTECT platform and has been retuned for better fuel efficiency.”

1.2-litre K12N Petrol

The 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine of the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is the best among the three variants and has been exclusively tested by Siddharth in Udaipur. Its refinement levels are much higher than the base variant, and in our testing, it did not choke at 100 kmph. The extra torque (113 Nm) also meant fewer gear changes were required in the city. As a highway tourer, this is the most appropriate choice.

1.0-litre CNG

Maruti Suzuki’s CNG option delivers lower power of 56 bhp, but it is still enough to propel the car without any disturbance. On inclines, it may feel sluggish, but on flat roads, the performance deficit can be ignored in favour of far better running costs.

Transmission: AGS (AMT) vs Manual

A five-speed manual gearbox is available for all three variants of the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R. The typical AGS (Auto Gear Shift) from Maruti has improved a lot in recent years, but the ‘head-nod’ during aggressive shifts is still noticeable. Do note that AGS is only available on 1-litre and 1.2-litre petrol engines on VXI, ZXI and ZXI+ trims. 

Siddharth notices,

“The AMT has become significantly smoother, though it still exhibits slight hesitation when switching quickly between Reverse and Drive. It’s also an urban family car. It’s not trying to be anything else. It is faster than before; it tops 90 kmph pretty quickly on the highway, but after that, it’s a tedious increase to 100 kmph. Then, it struggles to go above 120 kmph in the 1.0-litre trim.”