There are thousands of Maruti Zens zipping around on the country’s roadways, but Maruti has finally decided to phase out the old favourite. Instead the good folks at Maruti are pinning all their hopes on models like the Swift and yes, the Wagon R. Unlike the Zen, the Wagon R obviously figures in a major way in Maruti’s plans for the next few years.

That was evident enough when Maruti recently previewed not one, but two variants to a select group of automotive journalists and then handed out feedback forms, just like the time when the Swift was previewed. The fact is that although Maruti calls it a new Wagon R, it is actually a freshening exercise that’s been carried out with the help of Indian designers. What is new, however, is the Wagon R Duo, the name stemming from the fact that it is a dual-fuel vehicle ? petrol and LPG.

But first, let’s take a look at the changes that apply to both the models, in other words the re-styling exercise. In all, there are 33 new features in the car. However, when viewed in profile, there is little to distinguish the ‘new’ car from the old except for the new wraparound headlights that are now part of the profile.

It is when one views the car from the front and the rear that the changes become obvious. The front looks different now. There’s nothing cute about it any more; instead there’s a pretty aggressive-looking grille. The bonnet has horizontal slats where there was solid metal earlier, with a large Suzuki logo adorning the front. The wheel arches have been flared slightly to give the car more presence. The air dam on the other hand, incorporates sporty slats, giving it a look that’s in keeping with bigger, more powerful machines.

In fact, while looking at the front, you’d almost mistake it for a powerful brute of a machine ? which, of course it is not. In my opinion the bonnet slats and the air dam slats give the new car a bit of a confusing look ? it’s difficult to decide whether to love it or hate it. I guess only time will tell ? especially if the Santro is anything to go by. The same 64bhp, 84Nm 1061cc engine powers the new Wagon R. The electronics have been tweaked though, and Maruti claims that fuel economy has been improved by 10 percent.

If there’s a lot happening in front, the rear has not been ignored either. The rear hatch has been restyled. The number-plate has been moved from bumper level to the centre of the hatch under the glass area and is shaped as a mirror image of the glass. The taillights are new too, as are the electric ORVMs (Outside Rear View Mirror or plain door mirrors).

The overhauling continues inside as well with the interior having been given a fresh new look. This is thanks to the new three-spoke steering wheel and the fascia. The Vxi version features both a speedometer and a tachometer and the centre console has a brushed metal look to it thanks to the varnish. Also new are the AC controls ? rotary knobs replacing the ‘fiddly’ mechanism used earlier.

The variant that caught everyone’s eye was naturally, the Duo. That was the version I drove and it was a very interesting experience. Externally there is nothing to differentiate the two variants except for the LPG filler point on the right-hand side of the car and the LPG sticker on the rear windscreen. The left-hand side has the filler point for petrol as usual. In default mode, the car starts on petrol and then automatically switches over to LPG. This can however, be overridden by a push-button switch on the fascia to the right of the steering wheel and it’s also possible to switch from one fuel to another on the fly.

Yes, there is a definite lack of power when the car is running on LPG ? in fact the engine power drops to 57.5bhp and torque drops to 77Nm ? but not enough to rate it as bad for city driving. On petrol however, the Wagon R is its usual self. While driving, switching from petrol to LPG was very smooth, but going the other way (LPG to petrol) saw the car hesitate for a bit. According to Maruti, this lag is because two different fuels cannot be fed to the engine at the same time. The LPG system has its own control electronics, a 32bit ECM.

The designers at Maruti have innovatively used the spare wheel well to house a specially-developed toroidal LPG tank that has been designed in Italy and sourced from Poland. This however has resulted in the spare wheel and jack being treated like orphans, as both take up valuable boot space, thus compromising the main USP of the Wagon R ? boot space.

In fact it looks like somebody threw the jack in first and then the spare tyre on top of it. A better solution would have been to place the wheel directly above the LPG tank and make space for it by scooping out the rear of the rear seat as has been done in the front seats of the Honda Civic to increase leg space. The well of the spare wheel could be used, as a storage place for tools and a removable cover would ensure that things could be kept on top of the wheel. With the Duo, Maruti is hoping more LPG stations will open up, as the demand increases.

And if you’re sold on the Wagon R, remember you can have your pick as far as colour is concerned. It is available in eight different shades including Passion Red, Forest Flush (green), Ocean Blue and Bahamas Beige.

My favourite long drive

Agnimitra Paul,
fashion designer

nMy all-time favourite, as far as long drives go, would be the road trip I made to Sangla Valley with my husband Partho. It was back in 2000, and we decided to go to Himachal from Chandigarh by car.

By unanimous decision, we opted out of driving, hiring a chauffeur instead. It was a beautiful seven-hour-long trip. We stopped at the numerous little dhabas that dot the countryside and made the most of each other’s company. We passed through the semi-mountainous Cheil to go up winding roads complete with bends and curves that never fail to surprise. The scenic beauty of Himachal was for us to savour at our own pace. We still hold it as some kind of a hallmark for long drives. Of course in the city, there’s hardly time or for that matter, places to go. Now we’ve resigned ourselves to the fact that driving to the airport is going to be as good as it gets!