Maruti Suzuki Wagon R

The third-generation Wagon R keeps its signature tall-boy look and dimensions although it looks more proportioned now. The new car is longer and wider now, with a bigger wheelbase, while being lighter than before as well. The Wagon R feels more stylish now, with the rounded-off design for its nose and the chunkier elements including the arrow headlamps and the sporty touches all around. The shoulder line is chiselled, and the wheel arches get plenty of definition alongside. The black plaque to the tailgate from the C pillar looks nice, with the impression of a floating roof and the taillights are big and attractive too. The door handles are not as pleasing, while alloy wheels are only offered as accessories. The bonnet shut line should have been tighter, although the company has reportedly claimed that it is deliberate, to prevent damages to the upper part of the grille if the bonnet is slammed. 

Getting in and out of the car is easy and the cabin is airy with big windows. The cabin looks nice with its dual-tone theme in beige and black. The new instrument console (with a digital tachometer for higher trims) also adds to the overall cabin ambiance. The steering wheel comes from the Ignis and feels better to use. The soft-touch feeling is still absent, although the dashboard has a good textured feel to it. Finishing is better for the door pads although the dashboard could have been better proportioned. The central console’s angle may be a little problem for drivers. The vents and other components look slightly awkward. The new front seats are bigger and the fixed front headrests do limit front visibility for those at the back. The cabin feels wider with more legroom and headroom. Adjustable rear headrests could have been included in the cabin as well. Boot space has gone up to 341 litres, while there is a 60:40 split ratio for the seats too. There is a bigger glovebox with chunky front door pockets and rear door ones as well. The cubby hole over the gear lever feels unnecessary. A dedicated mobile placement slot will be required as well. 

The Wagon R comes with the SmartPlay Studio infotainment unit of 7 inches. There is superior touch response and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included. It can deploy the internet connectivity of a paired device for online music streaming, news, weather, and other updates. You can also control audio through the Neat smartphone app. There are also steering-mounted controls for the Wagon R’s infotainment unit. 

The 1.2-litre engine is smooth and already does duty in the Baleno, Ignis, Dzire, and Swift. It is a sportier and peppy engine to drive while the lightweight nature of the car automatically enhances overall performance. The new 1.2-litre engine feels agile and responsive, picking up speed smoothly and making for great city cruising as well. The car feels lively with more pulling powers, while the engine appreciates higher revs throughout the power band. The 1.2-litre engine is quicker than rivals like the Santro, Tiago, and the Celerio as well. The grip of the wheels is pretty good as well. Yet, the top power band zones between 5-6,500 RPM make the WagonR quite noisy. Sound insulation is not very good for the Wagon R as well. The manual gearbox is also not the best, although it feels easy and light mostly. The AMT version is the better one of the lot although it is not as smooth as you would otherwise desire. Higher gears ensure better performance overall, while the gearbox does not feel compromised in any manner. The handbrake should be carefully used while doing hill starts. The car may roll back before the engagement of the gearbox.