Maruti Suzuki WagonR
The WagonR has proved to be a great companion in the city as well as the highway
IT’S TIME! TIME TO BID ADIEU TO perhaps the most popular and used cars in evo India’s garage and my sweet companion, the WagonR. I knew this day would come, but not so soon. It’s been more than six months that I have been commuting, going on long trips or drives with family, using it for shoots of motorcycles, cars and even cycles. What I have realised is it not only makes for a good family car, but a spacious one for photographers as well.
For what it’s worth, both the rows were used to the fullest, even the boot. So what if it’s a small car and gets a 1000cc engine? There’s definitely more than what meets the eye when it comes to the taller, wider, longer WagonR. It’s not only spacious from within and has a butter-smooth engine, but is also the best looking Wagon R till date.
Ours came in Nutmeg Brown, not the first in a WagonR but the newly redesigned shape of the car goes really well with the colour options that Maruti Suzuki has given. And it isn’t just me. We know how popular the WagonR is in our country. Wherever I took the car, people not only gave that long stare at the car, but did not hesitate to enquire about it as well. And why not? The new upright fascia with the wide, perfectly-spread square dual-split headlights that accompany the smart grille, the floating C-pillar that hints at a modern and stylish profile and then the squared-off rear flanked with the elongated tail lamps that give it a butch look from the rear. Place it next to your choice of SUV and you will see how the boxy stance of the WagonR meets the masculine build of that SUV. Not only that, step inside and you will feel the ampleness of space, the room around you and the passengers as well.
Every time I squeezed the fat key into the ignition, the butter smooth engine would come to life without making anybody realise that it has. The WagonR has really come a long way. The K12 engine has been competent and it feels so peppy because how lightweight the boxy hatch is, it accelerates and does triple-digit speeds without any hassle. Be it when cruising swiftly on the highway or even when doing close to tripledigit speeds on long roads in the city. Well, what really kept me cautious was the time when I was at a signal though. The jump it gives every time I released the brakes while in ‘D’ needed a lot of calculations, to avoid scaring the rider in the front. But, that is just one thing.
It’s been a great companion for short city runabouts. Heck! Even the Ed who needed to make a quick dash to the dentist as his wisdom tooth needed some work picked the WagonR for this jaunt. It has also taken me out of the city with my bicycles, driving me up to roads that are perfect for a quick dash on two wheels and then carts me back home. You will be missed, WagonR!