Maruti Suzuki Wagon R review - Ride and handling |
Ride and Handling
This is a tall car, and when a car is tall it tends to roll. Right?
Wrong
That's the beauty of this car, its tall, really tall; yet it fails to roll. Even at elevated speeds, it doesn't at all roll. Competitors could go on and on about the lack of safety in Marutis, but I'm really glad that Maruti considered this to be a safety issue, decided to compromise a bit on the ride and give it some stiff anti-roll bars. Now, whats the price you pay for having a tall car with loads of head room yet doesn't roll? You pay with stiff shock absorbers, with hard anti-roll bars. You pay with passenger comfort. This car is not very good at absorbing bumps, the problem is not very noticeable in new cars, but as the car clocks the miles; owners must bear with some niggling vibrations here and there that result in a reverberatory cabin.
The handling though is quite inspiring. Its like watching a cripple do a somersault. What I mean to say is that its quite surprising, since the car doesn't roll, you think that you could go faster around the bends. Its nice to know that although this car comes with a painfully numb EPS, as the speeds climb; the EPS switches off and you have direct steering which gives a reasonable amount of feedback. We sincerely advise owners and future buyers to make sure that they back off as soon as they hear those 145/70R13 tires even hint at squealing, for before you know you might just become part of the scenery along your favorite mountain road. As long as those tires don't scream though, this car is excellent fun; its width making it very maneuverable around town.
Verdict
The Wagon R as has been advertised by its manufacturer is a niche vehicle, its meant for people who desire more from life; perhaps more from their car too. This car is a pioneer in its intended market. It comes with excellent interiors with so many thoughtfully placed cubby holes that you will love using. It comes with an engine you'll not only love for its reliability and efficiency but also for the way its able to overtake all those lower minions. It comes with ride that could be excused because it guarantees that you won't end up on your roof; unless of course you try very hard.
All in all, this car imbibes in it all the maruti traits of performance, efficiency and longevity. It competes with the Indica Xeta and the Santro Xing. It scores over the xeta in terms of overall refinement and quality, but loses out when it comes to value for money. It scores over the santro when you consider the thought fullness of this car, but the santro scores in terms of overall packaging. Perhaps the Wagon R could do with more curves and fewer edges; perhaps.
Design and interiors.
Engine and transmission.
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![wagon r exterior](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=wr1.jpg&imagetitle=Wagon R exterior"))
![wagon r exterior](javascript:openwin("largephoto.asp?imagename=wr2.jpg&imagetitle=Wagon R exterior"))
