Thread: Suzuki Wagon R

SUZUKI'S NEW WAGON-R entered our Lifers fleet in June. Luckily we got the car with the best-looking colour. Black. that is. So far. there are things that have impressed me about the car and then there are things that just make me wonder What
was Suzuki thinking?' More on that later. To begin with. the car looks a whole lot better than the model it replaces. The omission of the three-quarter glass on the C-pillar has lengthened the doors. which enable you to literally walk in and out of the rear seats. Plus. it's built on a completely new platform and the front and the rear of the car have been specially designed for India by Suzuki's Indian design centre.

The car's wheelbase and height has also increased slightly. This gives rear passengers some more legroom for those long journeys. but I am still wondering what to do with all that headroom. The dash has an integrated music system with an AUX port for your MP3 music player. The sad part is that unlike other Suzuki car sold in the country today, the Wagon-R lacks small storage spaces which store nicknacks like bills and coins. The door pockets are slim and cannot even hold a small water bottle. There is an innovative storage space under the front passenger seat which can swallow three water bottles and also two cup holders on the dashboard. Plus the glove-box is very spacious too.



Coming to the What was Suzuki thinking?' issue, creature comforts like electrically adjustable wing-mirrors are great but there is no day/night rear-view mirror. The sun-visor is not wide enough to protect you from the sunrays from the sides. Apart from these sore points there is little to complain. The three-pot 67bhp K-Series engine is borrowed from the A-Star but does not feel as spirited to Door pockets a bit to small to be used for any practical purpose. Visor just too small to even Cover hal f of the front window. Jazz is not the only one which can keep things cool around here. drive. The deficiency of torque is felt below 1500rpm, and the gears feel rubbery too. Driving it around the city is stress-free with the power-assisted steering wheel that can be turned around using just two fingers. The ride is composed, the suspension chews bumps and potholes with ease.

On the highway the car reaches a maximum speed of 150kph and does feel stable, though above 80kph ride does get bumpy at the rear. Braking is adequate at high speeds as well with ABS system keeping you out of trouble during emergency braking.
After driving this car on the highway and through city traffic, the Wagon-R returned an impressive 13kms to a litre. Loads of space below the drivers seat to keep thing away from suspicious eyes.