Maruti WagonR AMT review, test drive

What is it?

The Maruti WagonR is one of the most popular Maruti models around. An average of thirteen thousand WagonRs roll off showroom floors every month and this is because car buyers love the combination of space, price and efficiency it offers. Now Maruti wants to widen its scope by making it easier to drive and live with by offering an automatic gearbox with a single clutch. Known as an AMT, the single clutch automatic is perfectly suited to do duty here as it is inherently more efficient than regular automatics, and is also more affordable to buy at Rs 4.7 lakh for this .

What is it like to drive?

The Maruti WagonR AMT uses the same engine as its manual counterpart; the 1.0-litre, three cylinder K10 unit good for 67bhp and 9.17kgm of torque. What's nice about this typical three-cylinder is that it has a strong top end and likes to be spun fast. The addition of the AMT 'box on this car also seems to have improved low-speed responses. Whereas the manual gearbox- equipped car needs a few revs to get comfortable, this AMT takes off as soon as you tap the accelerator, making it nice to drive in city traffic. However, there is a bit of jerkiness, as on all AMTs, and this is present if you go on and off the throttle. But Maruti seems to have improved the manner in which the gearbox and engine work together as well. The shifts seem a bit smoother and the speed with which the gears engage manually when you push on the lever seems to be a bit quicker as well.