2019 Maruti Wagon R Test Drive Review – Best Tallboy

2019 Maruti Wagon R Review

Car Tested: 2019 Maruti Wagon R; Road Test No. 1053; Test Location: Udaipur

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 5.14 – 6.88 lakhs

The new Maruti Wagon R has improved dynamics, performance and features along with a spacious cabin & boot

The Wagon R is Maruti’s immensely successful model and inspite of being nearly 2 decades old, Maruti has been consistently clocking good numbers month after month. In fact, it has cemented its position in the list of the top 5 selling cars every month. However, age was clearly showing for this car and with the competition having caught up, Maruti decided to bring in the next generation Wagon R. It is now bigger, more powerful and offers even more practicality than before. We have come down to Udaipur to find out how it fares in the real world.

Motor Quest: This car has been exclusively made for India and nowhere in the world is this exact model sold. This is the longest and the widest iteration of the Wagon R. Globally this is the 7th generation Wagon R but in India, it is the 3rd generation model.

Exteriors – The Wagon R always had a very boxy design and the new model gives us a break from the traditional box by incorporating a few curves at the front and rear. What you immediately notice is that this car is wider and longer and looks very pleasing to the eye. Changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary and there is no mistaking the tall boy Wagon R silhouette. The blacked out B and C pillars give a floating roof feel while the elongated and somewhat Volvo-inspired tail lights add to the sportiness. Maruti has also given flared wheel arches which accentuate wider stance of the car. However, when viewed from the side, the tyres look a bit small for the wheel arches.

Interiors – The interiors are well appointed and look sporty courtesy of Maruti’s new Smartplay Studio infotainment system (which is debuting in the Wagon R). One of the first things you notice when you step inside is the spaciousness of the cabin. There is just so much space inside now. The wheelbase is now longer and it has drastically enhanced the practicality. Legroom at the rear is abundant and now three people can occupy the rear bench in comfort. Shoulder room is ample too while under-thigh support is average. When it comes to headroom, there was never a reason to complain and now there is even more headroom than before.

The Wagon R has the largest boot in its segment and is easy to load

The Wagon R offers best-in-segment boot space of 341-litres which can be further enhanced to 710-litres by folding the rear seats. The rear doors open almost by 90-degrees making it much easier to get in and out of the car. The large glass area gives the interior a very airy feel. There are sufficient storage bins in the cabin with door pockets in each of the doors and bins in the central console. There is also a storage tray below the front passenger seat. The SmartPlay Studio offers cloud-based services through an app on your mobile phone. You can also use your phone as a remote to navigate through the infotainment system. Needless to say, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. Fit and finish levels are a notch up now but the hard plastics are an eyesore.

Performance – Maruti is offering 2 engines with the Wagon R. Most of the sales will come from the 1.0-litre K-Series petrol engined car which produces 67 HP of power at 5500 and 90 Nm of torque at 3500 RPM. This engine returns a fuel economy of around 22.5 km/l as per ARAI test standards. This should translate to approximately 16-17 km/l in the regular city driving cycle. This engine comes mated with a 5-speed manual transmission and Maruti is also offering an AMT.

Both engines are available with a manual and AMT gearbox; K12M is sweet!

This time Maruti is also catering to those who like a bit of performance under their belt. The 1.2-litre K-Series motor is what we got to drive and it is indeed is a gem. This engine produces 83 PS of power at 6000 RPM and 113 Nm of twisting force at 4200 RPM. It loves to be revved hard and there is more than enough power on tap. Power delivery is linear and this engine comes alive in the mid and higher end of the rev band. Both the 5-speed manual and the AMT work well with this engine with commendable in-gear acceleration.

The AMT has been tuned well and most will be happy with the comfort and convenience it offers, especially if you encounter traffic jams on a day to day basis. However, the enthusiast will find a tad bit of lag and it is highlighted when you want to get the gears to change in a hurry. But if you go by AMT standards, it has been tuned rather well. This 1.2-litre engine returns 21.5 km/l as per ARAI test standards and should return 15-16 km/l in the routine city driving cycle. NVH levels have improved over the last generation car but at higher revs, the engine can get quite vocal. Road and tyre noise can also make it into the cabin at high speeds.

Driving Dynamics – The Wagon R has always been a practical and family oriented car and never has or will be something meant for corner craving. That said, there is a drastic improvement in the dynamics department as compared to the previous generation car. The steering feel is very average and it doesn’t weigh up as beautifully as one would like but we reckon nobody will be complaining as this segment is mostly about value for money and practicality. The tyres offer decent levels of grip while cornering and there is some amount of wheelspin when you want to accelerate out in a hurry.

Maruti has succeeded in improving the dynamics of the new Wagon R

Ride quality has also seen a remarkable improvement over the last generation. The Wagon R is underpinned on the HEARTECT platform and this platform has ensured that the chassis is now stiffer. The suspension is set up on the softer side which means ride quality is very pliant at slow speeds. At high speeds, it tends to get a bit bouncy on really bad roads but overall the cabin is well insulated. Brakes offer a good amount of bite and ABS along with EBD ensures that things are always in control.

Safety – Maruti is offering the Wagon R with dual front airbags and ABS with EBD. While the LXi and VXi variants come only with a standard driver airbag, Maruti does offer the passenger side airbag as an option. The ZXi variant comes with dual front airbags as standard. The hatchback also comes with seat belt pretensioners & load limiter, seat belt reminder, high speed alert and reverse parking sensors. Maruti’s service network is simply unmatched and owning the Wagon R will be a trouble-free process.

Verdict – The Wagon R has improved in a big way. It has become more stylish to look at, has shed away the boxy looks and offers more comfort and practicality with some smart features. The engines deliver commendable performance without compromising too much on the fuel economy. It even rides and handles better than its predecessor. Backed by Maruti’s strong sales and service network, we reckon this big new Wagon R will continue to sell like hotcakes.

What’s Cool

• Interior comfort & space
• Performance from the 1.2-litre engine
• SmartPlay Studio Infotainment System

What’s Not So Cool

• No CNG option currently
• Steering feel & feedback
• Light build quality

Alternatives: – Hyundai Santro, Tata Tiago, Maruti Celerio

2019 Maruti Wagon R Specifications

* Engine: 998cc, 3-Cyl, Petrol (K10B) | 1197cc, 4-Cyl, Petrol (K12M)
* Power: 67 HP @ 5500 RPM | 82 HP @ 6000 RPM
* Torque: 90 Nm @ 3500 RPM | 113 Nm @ 4200 RPM
* Transmission: 5-Speed MT, 5-Speed AMT | 5-Speed MT, 5-Speed AMT
* Fuel Consumption: 16-20 km/l | 15-19 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Tyre Size: 165/70/14 (Front & Rear)
* Suspension: McPherson Strut (Front), Torsion Beam (Rear)
* Brakes: Disc (Front), Drum (Rear)
* Safety: 2 Airbags, ABS with EBD

2019 Maruti Wagon R Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 3655 mm X 1620 mm X 1675 mm
* Wheelbase: 2435 mm
* Turning Radius: 4.7-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 32-litres
* Kerb Weight: 820 kgs | 845 kgs

[wp-review id=”229931″]