Dear Readers,
First off I would say congratulations to all those who gave up their preferences of buyings santros and indicas to invest in a greener option for our future...
My family is the proud owner of a Wagon R Duo.... And suffice to say that the fact that it is Maruti speaks volumes...
The engine is an excellent 1.1 litre engine with LPG capability... the capacity of the gas tank is a bit suspect as no one knows the real volume but one can go for 600 kms with ease without any worries...
Maruti Udyog have put very good efforts into altering its age old looking Wagon R into its new avatar with a detailed look at what the Indian customer really needs...
The Wagon R till date continues to be the only real tall boy in the Indian market... Initially people were unwilling to invest in it because of its boxy, dated, staid looks... But now, the new look, although a bit strange(though pleasing to most) is hardly a deterrent to prospective buyers...
The wider front grille makes ample space for larger more powerful headlamps, though, as MUL always does, the indicators are fusedto them awkwardly providing for a not so elegant finish... Nonetheless, the headlamps are worth it and one should overlook such minor cosmetic details... The wider grille also provides slightly better airflow to the engine and thus enhances cooling a shade... Besides of course, the front exudes an overall cheerful and happy look....
The bodywork on the Duo has been done elegantly with no unnecessary notches and handles.... The crumple zones are well covered on the sides and done up welll enough not to be visible from teh outside... The overall safety of the car is a little improved...
Comiing to the engine - Maruti has yet again come up trumps with engine refinement and smoothness... The engine generates little noise and is further damped by the good quality of sound proofing work done on the Wagon R.... The only problem is the MUL usual and that is - the gearbox. The gearbox is pretty stiff as one has to fight to get into first gear... From there on, its a smooth event free ride... Don’t ask me why, but in all of MUL’s models, the gearbox has the self same problem over the long years past....
Coming to the power delivery... Considering the fact that the Duo is an LPG vehicle, it does pretty well... Using LPG does cause a slight drop in power but one can still comfortably cruise till 80 or so before it becomes significant... The low end torque of the Duo is really good as the car is able to pick up from a complete stop in second gear and also able to run in OD at about 25-30 kmph....
The only slightly annoying thing about the whole car is that the rear wheel is awkwardly placed in the boot, causing a problem during installation of a music system... Otherwise I must say the loss of boot space is perfectly normal....
Ride comfort is very good though at times the ride at the back tends to be on the stiff side... The suspension is general is very good, considering that the Wagon R has a slightly low ground clearance owing to its true tall boy design....
Another problem is with the dealers... Being a new car from the MUL stable, they still don’t quite know how to handle the car service... And MUL as usual launched this car without basic accessories... I don’t know when MUL will address these little customer satisfaction points so as to provide the best experience from its loyal customers...
The Wagon R power steering is excellent and is the best in its class... Its response is very very good and reduces the turning radius of the car significantly... The initial problems of the MUL power steering microprocessor have been sorted out.... And the power steering benefits drastically....
The braking of the Wagon R is legendary.... Known to be over responsive, MUL have tuned the brakes a little better and eliminated the problem of wheel lock...
Overall the Wagon R Duo is an excellent vehicle with a good combination of power and control coupled with good mileage of about 15-16 kmpl when ridden well in city with the AC...
To all those who are planning to buy it, I"d say go for it... It comes with Maruit’s backup and is an excellent car for the future considering its greener and more fuel efficient than most others in its class...