Zen Enlightenments. Review on Maruti Suzuki Zen - Petrol

Yes back then when a Maruti 800 would be around Rs. 3,00,000, the Zen was starting at Rs. 5,00,000. Though small, you wouldn’t believe it, it was a status symbol. The competitors – Fiat, Ambassador, Maruti 800. Quite some competition there! One can always afford to laugh now at this thought.

Comparison:

Zen isn’t that bad. On the contrary this is a good family car, much better than its nearest competitor – the Maruti800, Matiz and even Santro for that matter. Maybe it looses against Santro only over space criteria. I would say, that Zen looks much better than Santro. It is the cutest car I have seen. The car has cute curvy body like a 3-year-old chubby girl with baby fat. And if M800 is small, this one is smaller.

Looks & Design:

Looks wise, at least from the front side, it seems like a M800 – only more curvier. The frontal lights are quite squarer. A portion also extends a bit on the sides of the car. While M800 has black bumpers, the Zen has bumpers of the same color as the car and hence gels well. It has those familiar yellow lights, on the bumper as well on the sides of the car. The rear portion is what enables one to distinguish a Zen from M800. While M800 has rear that appears like a planar surface – straight up (light/nameplate portion) and then suddenly changing the angle (window portion), the Zen rear appears like one convex surface. This convex surface is in fact a door that can swivel, to open upwards.

Interior:

A peek inside the car, and one can feel the difference. It definitely has more class than the M800. The fabric upholstery is good. The seats at the front are very comfortable and have seat belts. The rear seat is where the problem lies. There is hardly any leg space. Though it can fit 3 adults behind, it poses great discomfort. It is probably ideal for a nuclear family with parents in the front and two kids behind. But this is obvious considering that it is smallest in its segment. The car has an AC and a heater too, allowing you to set the climate within to your own taste, irrespective of the climate outside the car. AC works great, cooling the small chamber quickly. Besides it has power windows, i.e. press a button and window opens/closes.

Machinery:

The 3 spoke leather wrapped steering combined with the great positioning of the gearshift (floor gears), the comfortably reachable clutch/brake pedals without stretching of legs, the sloping windscreen that gives a good view of the road ahead, the easy viewable speed indicators, energizes the driver, vents away his exhaustion and returns a smile on his/her face. Driving or should I say steering the Zen is extremely pleasurable – thanks to the Electronic Power Steering.

Engine:

Under the hood, it has 993 cc MPFI engine with 4 cylinders and 4 valves per cylinder. More interesting is the fact that like the Santro and other Euro-II cars, the Zen also has a 16 bit computer on board that measures certain parameters like engine oil, temperature, engine speed and controls the fuel intake. This ensures lower emission. Hence it also confirms to the more stringent Bharat-II norms. The engine is water-cooled, aluminium ACE engine that means better thermal conductivity, cooler engine operation. Lower weight of the car naturally means higher speeds and better fuel efficiency. To quote some figures – the Zen has 60 bhp and takes around 15 secs from 0 to 100 Kmph. But with AC on, it gives 10-12 Kmpl in city driving and 15-18 Kmpl on highways. Surprisingly, these figures are slightly lower than what our M800 used to give. But having driven both, the feel, the power surge, the handling, steering is much better in Zen than in M800. Also Zen has top speed of 155 Kmph. Also the MsPherson suspension is a bit better at absorbing the shocks.

Convenience:

The compact size has its own advantages like parking, for instance, easy steering. But the car is not all that meritorious. Like M800, it is also not a racecar. It does has a good acceleration but the smooth driving is more for those who want to enjoy driving for the thrill of it, not for rallying. At high speeds, the car is riskier because of its small wheels. Also the car is not safe as the cars in US. There are no air bags for example. Also the car body is not tough enough.

But if you want to make a buying decision, I would say it is best car if you satisfy all of the following conditions:

1) You like driving and enjoying it with relaxed attitude.

3) You live in city with heavy traffic problems.

If you don’t satisfy these conditions, it is not for you.