Overall a good package, but engine disappoints

 

Exterior Looks: OK. Personal opinion is that its better than the outgoing WagonR, The air-dam design(smiley) is not in sync with the otherwise boxy deisgn of the car, Rest is ok, nothing great.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Good, comfortable, tall driving position. 3 fat adults in the rear is a squeeze, but legspace was not an issue even with 5'8" + tall people occupying the front seats. Featurewise, the biggest grouse i have is the price difference between Lx and Lxi. For providing Power Steering, 2 Front Power windows, central locking and tacky bits of silver here n there, the difference between Lx and Lxi is close to a whopping 40k (this is based on the on-road quotation from a Maruti auth. dealer, after considering discounts). Cmon Maruti, you could have thrown in a tachometer or 14" wheels at least in the Lxi The road noise is shielded well, and is just enough to keep you aware of the external noise.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Power is acceptable for sedate city driving (and thats what the car is primarily meant for) I test drove the Vxi (had a tacho) and there is no response from the engine below 2000 rpm I'm serious, it felt as if the accelerator pedal does not exist ! I wonder If i will ever be able to squeeze good FE from this car. After 2000 rpm th torque builds up and so does body roll, however once you gain some initial momentum things get better. I was able to climb up gentle slopes with 5 adults and the AC on AC cooling is good, with the blower on position 2, it wasnt noisy and the cabin had cooled well. The demo car did not have any sunfilm and it was in the sun for quite some time (ambient temp 30C) Gear-shift was smooth but a bit notchy, I felt the throw to be bit long. Many reviews on the internet say that it has improved over the previous WagonR

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride Quality is Good, did not get a rough patch of road or broken tarmac to test it. Handling is ok, i did experience a fair amount of body roll while taking sharp turns on a downward slope (It was enough to make me slow down to speeds of 10+ and make a gentle turn the next time)

 

Final Words Good of in-city rides,  4 Lakhs on-road for Lxi in Pune is a decent price.

 

Areas of improvement Power @ low rpms, lower versions are under-tyred(145/80 R13).

 

Good space, View from the drivers seat, Easy Ingress-RegressAbsolutely no power at <2000 rpm, low boot space, price difference too much between Lxi and Lx