New KB series Wagon R. Review on Maruti Suzuki Wagon R

I just booked the new Wagon R yesterday in RNS motors Bangalore. Well this car was for my uncle who was initially looking for a second hand car but was afraid to put his money on any dealer. He was looking for a car in the budget of around 4.5L. Here is how I arrived at the Wagon R

The options were Santro, i10, Beat, Estilo, figo(All prices mentioned are on road and I am comparing pretty loaded versions of all cars)

Santro

Price-Gls-428k(After free insurance discount)

What we get- Descent engine, value for money, quality

Reason dropped- Nothing really attractive, its in its last days I feel

I10(I own a i10)

Price-Sports-508k(After free insurance discount)

What we get- Powerfull engine, top class fit and finish

Reason dropped- Too pricey, not great FE, no split seat

Beat

Price-LT-492k

What we get-Good engine, looks, feature packed

Reason dropped- very average customer support(Evident when I visited the showroom), low resale value

Estilo

Price-vxi-440k-Appox(After 15k cash back offer)

What we get- Everything almost as same as in the new Wagon R, bigger boot than wagon R

Reason dropped- Highway manners, interiors, not selling great numbers.

Figo

Price-vxi-430k-Appox

What we get- Whatever we get this is the best car in the segment- A big hatch for a small price

Reason dropped-It was not entirely my choice but my uncles. I think figo is a superb deal.

Wagon R

Price-vxi-462k

What we get- All that we get in others cars and for a cheaper price, excellent resale value.

After zeroing on WagonR I went to have a look at the car last sunday, although the car was there for display the sales person did not have a clue about thechanges in the new vehicle. All he knew was it has the same engine as in Estilo.

Since the test drive vehicle was not yet available. I just went through the car in the showroom itself.

Iwas expecting just a new engine and minor changes to the old vehicle but I was surprised.

The cars length has increased and its clearly evident in the rear space. The interiors have been changed completely and design is a lot more contemporary. Backseat leg room is excellent however the bench like feeling is still evident. God knows howthey call every hatchback a 5 seater this fits in only 2 in the back and maximum is 2 + child.Bigger tyres tuned exterior design makes the car look like a mini Xylo. But I still love my I10 interiors, not that its beige in color but the quality and finish is superb in I10.

I observed a huge gap in between the radiator and the engine. I dont know if its present in the old wagonr or has been done from the in safety point of view. There is no USB extension for the inbuilt music system which is a let off. The new dash looks descent. Theres a innovative can holder to the right of the steering which could be use full. They could have given height adjustable seats. Boot remains to be of the same size. Since I had driven the Estiloi found it descent enough so did not worry about it as its the same engine here. The sales man quoted the mileage as 15km/city and 18-19/highway with 100% ac. I think the numbers are correct but without AC.

Booked brick red color. I asked for free sun film, but the manager just told "There is so much demand for the car how can you expect free gifts". I was quite annoyed by it. The waiting period is 15 - 30 days, its ridiculous considering i'm one of the first to book this vehicle. I10 is delivered the next day itself.

Verdict: Very practical and value for money package

UPDATE: TOOK DELIVERY

Took delivery today morning approximately one month after booking.

Overall delivery was smooth and going early morning helped as we could go through all the details without any hurry

I was very concerned about the stock music system but its descent enough. Coming to drivability the gear box is very smooth however I felt the gear knob could have been better placed as in i10/ritz.

Engine is quite peppy and considering the narrow width of wagon r and the amazing driving position, I find driving it easier than i10 in city.But when we switch on the ac the engine starts behaving ordinarily. There is a substantial drop in power which will I think will affect in the highway. Coming to suspension its more on the lighter side, apart from some thuddingsound when you go over pot holes suspension is really good. Did not feel any better about the plastics again.

I rate RNS motors 3/5.You have to roam around them and get the work done

Mileage update :

I recently did a 900 km long drive on NH7 and got a mileage of 17Km/Ltr, I was driving around 90km/hr on an average. Driving in city is around 13-14 Kms.(Pricingly used AC in both cases)