Maruti Suzuki Wagon R vs Tata Nano

The way things are being planned, the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Flex-fuel (FF) is set to become India's first mass-segment flex-fuel car. It's one of the answers to the never-ending quest for alternative fuels for cars. The Wagon R FF is designed to run on any ethanol-petrol blend and will eventually help reduce tailpipe emissions. It also goes without saying it will comply with the upcoming and more stringent BS6 phase-II emission norms. The prototype exhibited at Maruti's pavilion at the 2023 Auto Expo looked exactly the same as the standard Wagon R on sale in India, save for the fluorescent badging. We believe the 'Flex-Fuel' branding on the side will be mellowed down in the production avatar. However, the bright green embellishments may be retained to display its green, environment-friendly avatar.

Even after the launch in 2008, the Nano has been a work in progress for Tata Motors. Where it could have been tagged as a convenient city car, the Nano became rather infamous as the ‘cheapest car’ that few wanted to associate with. Six years and many iterations later, it seems that Tata has finally got the formula right. The Nano GenX with the automatic transmission, on paper, looks like a perfect package offering brilliant driving dynamics, convenience and also a respectable features list. We drove the new car in and around Pune city to find out if the GenX Nano is all you need as an everyday city commuter.

It’s a mid-cycle refresh for the current generation of the Maruti Wagon R, which has been around since 2019. Here's how it's like to drive.