Zen – A mystic, peaceful, magical state of mind. Lets see whether Maruti’s offspring by the same name can live upto this meaning.
Design & Looks : when it was launched in the early 90’s, it had one of the freshest looks ever with an aerodynamic jellybean shape, A Pillar which raked beautifully and the C Pillar sloped in the most attractive curve ever. In those days the Zen attracted the maximum lustful gazes. In the day’s since, there have been numerous additions like grill’s, body colored bumper’s, glossy black rear view mirror’s etc. Almost a decade down the line, in the Indian marketplace, only the Indica, the Matiz & its own stablemate – the Alto are its competition in the looks department.
Interiors : When it was launched, it had worldclass interiors. Almost a decade down the line, the world has moved on ahead, but sadly enough, the zen has stayed put where it was. The dashboard, the head rest, the seat contour’s, the instrument cluster have all remained just the same since then. The seats are comfortable and with the low down seating position, it imparts a race driver feel to the occupants. The rear seats have comfortable leg space but the Zen is a driver’s car with the most comfort and control ending up in the front seats. The luggage space is a little cramped, however this can be made up by the foldable rear seats.
Engine & Performance : With a 993 cc engine which develops 52 bhp, the zen had enough steam under the bonnet to compete with the old warhorses like the ambassador & the padmini in the good old days, but in todays modern world of the zippy Santro, movin Matiz & the stunning Ikon, the engine lacks the pick up required to zip ahead. This is why Maruti has introduced the fuel injected versions of the same engine which develop about 10 bhp more than the old one. However, It has very good upper end acceleration and at higher rpm levels, has the ability to draw away from its rivals. The fifth gear gives it the added cruising feeling on the highways.
Ride & Handling : Extremely good handling on curvy roads, just doesn’t slide or squeak however hard you push it through the corners. Sticks like chewing gum onto the tarmac on high speed smooth roads. However, the low suspension has its drawbacks and on some of our bumpy & speed breaker infested suburban roads, the underbody scrapes the road most of the time.
Fuel efficiency : Quite economical with 12 kmpl in the city with AC and 15-16 on the highways.
Range : With the Lx, Vx, Vxi, Vxi PS, AT, D & the Classic in the line-up, the zen is one of India’s most versatile car’s. In addition to the above, there is also the Euro 2 versions in the metro’s.
In the wake of intense competition from the new Korean competition, it still has maintained its leadership position, with only the cocky (& rightly so) upstart Santro threatening its throne. However, a throatier tuned up engine would really help. It would also do Maruti a lot of good to redesign the exteriors of the zen & give it a more 21st century look, this would really pump a lot of blood back to the zen and make it the choice of the new generation. All in all, the Zen which lived right up to its name when it was launched is now a pale shadow of its former self.
PS : The Zen Classic is one of the ugliest cars that I have ever seen on Indian Roads, I still cant understand how a savvy car manufacturer like Maruti could make that kind of a mistake !!!