Maruti Suzuki Wagon R CNG Review

It was time for us to come back from the world of fancy cars to a car that is more practical and economical for a to buy. Today we drove the most popular and long-lived car the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R in its CNG avatar. Keeping in our mind the overall increase in the pollution level and fluctuations in petrol/diesel prices in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and many more, it is important for us to switch to a sustainable resource of energy, yes I literally mean that we should start switching over to CNG fuel type at least for daily commuting to our workplace. This is exactly why we chose to drive the CNG variant of the Wagon R.

The 2014 Wagon R is nothing very different than its pre-existing model. Some alterations and additions like blue-tinted headlamps, 'U'-shaped front grille, racks on the roof and a little broader tail lamps is what one can see on the exterior. Overall, the Wagon R still holds the name 'tall boy', as it is box like in shape which is truly responsible for providing abundant space inside the cabin.

At the back, the seats were decently comfortable and could have fitted three passengers without much difficulty. The storage space given inside the cabin is enough. I would say a woman might be just happy to own a Wagon R as it would literally store her slings and purses with the two huge storage compartments in the front. For more convenience, it also gets Swift like cup holders on the left. The front doors get the small storage space to keep couple of water bottles on the go. I would personally give Wagon R a five on five in terms of space and storage inside the cabin. The only downside with this car is the boot. There is no space at all to store anything in it if you opt for the CNG variant for obvious reason- the big fat CNG tank.

The Wagon R (CNG) is powered with the 1.0-litre K10 engine that churns out a decent 58.8bhp of power and 77Nm of torque (for the CNG variant). It delivers a very linear acceleration on the highway and is best to cruise without putting much pressure on the gas. Overtaking on the highway might need a downshift. The stability at high speeds on a straight road is not a problem for this car, it can easily cross the 100km/hr mark on the highways. City driving is also quite relaxing for the driver; especially in traffic conditions as it wont require much of gearshifts. The best part is that, once it picks up some decent speed you rarely feel you are driving in the CNG mode, though one can also shift their driving mode to petrol type as and when needed.

The handling is not something one would appreciate a lot while driving the Wagon R. Keep the vehicle at decent speed it will provide you a good steering response, but as the speed increases you start feeling disconnected. Overall experience of driving the Wagon R and sitting at the back was satisfactory according to its standards and its cost.

The Wagon R costs approximately Rs 5.2 lakhs on road Mumbai for the LXI CNG variant. The factory fitted CNG variant doesn't come in VXi variant. This is certainly a steal, and there is no other product this refined that will be made available at this price point. Check out our detailed review on Wagon R. Hence this car is suitable for those who are first time car buyers or even daily commuters to their workplace.

 

Source : MotorOctane