[///RMan]

All the alternatives that were considered, and why you zeroed in on this particular car

Swift,Ritz,Micra were test driven,debated but the rising petrol costs were a deterrent and diesels were not considered as the daily driving was to be low(or so we thought )

The WagonR was automatically the next choice,mainly for:

• The Frugal 1L 3 pot K10 engine
• Maruti Suzuki! Our National Carrier
• Tall Boy design apt for all the tall people in the house

While we did go to checkout the VXi petrol, ended up booking the LXi CNG variant in Firebrick Red mainly as the car was intended purely for city use with almost NIL highway use and the driving cost that Maruti Suzuki claimed was a dream.

The car was delivered in the first week of April '12 from Sai Service,Phoenix Mills.
The dealership and our SA , Rajendra Nikam guided us well all through the buying and delivery process.

On-road price, discounts
Car delivery was delayed by 15 days(as the FM announced a price cut on CNG powered cars) and we availed the discount which virtually made the extra fitments free of charge.

Equipment Levels
Nothing to write home about in this section but we opted for a few additional features like 2 DIN Music system,speakers,etc.


Exterior
Always liked the exterior styling of the WagonR, with the tall boy design and spacious interiors for 5 decently sized people.
A few blind points on the car need quite some time getting used to.
The compact body is a blessing when u need to squeeze it in tiny parking spaces.
The 'kei-car' from Japan is a hot favorite with us Indians as well,going by the number of them you see on the road.

Interior
The Interior of the car is pretty basic but nicely and thoughtfully designed.
The cup holders in front of the AC vents which help cooling bottles/cola glasses swiftly have a fan following with my college buddies.
The front seats could have had a bit of more cushioning though.
Interior fit and finish could have a been a lil better, but am not complaining here.
The lack of a tacho is disappointing.
The AC in Mumbai summers is good enough to keep you (and your temper) cool in the crazy traffic conditions.
Overall a pretty decent car to ferry 5 normal sized people around the city in comfort.

Engine
The engine is peppy and offers decent power for a 3-pot.
The CNG fitment does lead to a little power loss as compared to when being used on petrol,but negligible to say the least.
Although I must admit the car feels smoother(and happier) when driven on petrol.

Mileage
India's favourite question, "Kitna deti hai?"
Well this car does keep you happy with some pretty amazing figures.

City
CNG - 17-19km/kg in regular stop-go traffic conditions.Figures improve by 2-3 if the route has flowing traffic.
Petrol - 15-16 kmpl

Highway
The car has hit the highway only twice, making its way to Pune and back via the Expressway.
CNG - A crazy 31km/kg!!
Petrol - 21-22kmpl.

Handling,Suspension,Brakes
Nothing to speak about the handling as its possibly the tallest car in its class and body roll is very much present.
The suspension has a different setup as compared to the petrol WagonR so as to support the extra weight of the CNG cylinder and takes to small potholes with relative ease.
The steering is light and a breeze to manoeuvre in Mumbai traffic.
At high speeds(having tested at a maximum of 140kmph) the steering could be more heavier.

Likes
High Mileage,Space,Cheap to maintain,easy ingress/egress for the elderly in the family when required.

Dislikes
Lack of fog lamps,small tires,no alternative provided to the space lost to the CNG Cylinder.

Maintenance
While the first paid service is scheduled for this month end,yet the overall maintenance cost till date has been pretty much low.

The radiator fan malfunctioned and hot coolant spewing over some plastic parts did lead to overheating issues a month back, but the same were taken care of by Sai Service promptly and free of cost,thanks to their extended warranty which we have opted for.

Misc
Being a Manchester United Football Club supporter , got custom made seat covers and a few other accessories to go with the interior.

Cut to 26/09/13

The car has covered a whopping 21000+ kms in a span of less than a year and a half, and what a journey it has been!

What was supposed to ferry me to and fro from college (which is less than 3kms one way from my house) became the most driven car in the household.

Frankly,I am the only person in the entire neighborhood grinning from ear to ear when petrol prices rise every couple of months.
I am in love with the car,no doubt!

The per km cost comes to less than Rs. 2.5 per kilometer and that, for a college student sounds pretty less when its a car thats being discussed and not a bike
The car thankfully has had no niggles up till date and hopefully will continue to stay that way.
The lack of boot is a problem sometimes but then you can always use the other car.

All in all, for somebody looking at a secondary car(or even primary car) only for the city usage, there's no looking forward than the CNG WagonR.

Attaching a few pics of the 'Red Devil'

[Utopian]

That is a lot of driving for a year. The Maroonish red looks good on the wagon. In the last snap, what is that protrusion on the driver door?

[///RMan]

Originally Posted by Utopian

That is a lot of driving for a year.

In the last snap, what is that protrusion on the driver door?

Indeed is, especially when it's only city driving.

The protrusion is a steering wheel lock.

[StrangeWizard]

Really good pictures. Loved the Manchester United themed interiors. From where did you get the seat covers done?

How often do you clean the air filter given that your car runs on cng? I'm told it should be cleaned every 3k-5k kms in city driving conditions.

My cousin too bought an Lxi CNG recently and while driving it I felt the clutch to be too light and lacking any feedback while releasing it whereas in my Spark it is slightly heavy.

Cheers

[///RMan]

Originally Posted by StrangeWizard

Really good pictures. Loved the Manchester United themed interiors. From where did you get the seat covers done?

How often do you clean the air filter given that your car runs on cng? I'm told it should be cleaned every 3k-5k kms in city driving conditions.

My cousin too bought an Lxi CNG recently and while driving it I felt the clutch to be too light and lacking any feedback while releasing it whereas in my Spark it is slightly heavy.

Cheers

The seat cover has been stitched as per my measurements,design and I provided him with the Club emblems.They are done at a local seat cover stitching fellow in Sion Koliwada,who stitches covers for the 'bigger' shops around the area

The clutch setting preference differs from one to another,I found it a lil light but got it rectified by my mechanic.