I was looking for a hatchback with decent mileage for a family with elderly people. I narrowed down to alto k10, new wagon r, i10, chevrolet beat. k10 was too congested and I felt was overpriced(same with i10 and mileage of i10 was reportedly low). Beat looked good, but was not confident about after-sales and mileage. swift was good but was beyond my budget. new wagon r looked good with a decent mileage and maruti is a trusted company wit good service, so decided to go for it..
I bought the new wagon r lxi fire brick red, from mandovi motors, Bangalore on the 20th of august. The new wagon r has changed quite a bit compared to the old one. Exteriors--doesn’t appear box shaped too much, is really a tall boy-the increase in length and width is appreciable, the chrome grills and the new headlamps look nice. Interiors--have been changed considerably. Dual tone interiors with good upholstery, comfortable seats and pleasant looks.
The steering is also modified akin to swift and the gear shift is a pleasure now. Lxi doesn’t have tilt steering, integrated audio or rear power windows, but vxi costs around 30k more for which you can get it fitted from the dealer. Boot space has reduced a lot which is a definite minus. The new kb series engine is quite good and gives a good driving experience.The engine is hardly noisy and is very smooth. Ac is very good and cools in no time. However, pick up drops in the 2nd gear with ac on, which improves in higher gears with speed(50-60km/hr).
The ride quality is excellent even in harsh conditions. Windows are wide with good visibility. The tall boy design gives a feel of travelling in a xylo / scorpio. The stability is a lot improved compared to the old one in turns. However, pick up is less when it comes to driving up-slope. The side indicators have no sound so most of the time I would forget to put it off. Leg space is the best in the segment.
FE- before first service- 10-11km/lt with intermittent ac on in bangalore city, 16km/l highway.
After first service- 13-14km/l with intermittent ac city, 18km/l highway(at 1100km as of date). Dealer says it will improve some more with driving. Lxi has no tachometer, so I try to drive at a steady speed and avoid sudden accelerations.
Pros-- Good interior space, good comfort, can fit 5 people easily, better stability compared to the old one.
Cons-- Mileage?, poor pick up when ac on(though it has improved after 1st service), looks (which many don’t like, though personally I find it a lot improved now).
Go for it if you want good interior space, looking for an ideal family car(elderly will find it very comfortable), with all basic features of a hatchback, not very particular about looks. Good work by MSIL.