Suzuki Wagon R 2000 test drive - 2003 hatchback

Liliput with a sign +

From the very moment of its appearance, Suzuki Wagonr+ caused many controversy and contradictory judgments, and most of them were addressed to the class belonging of this strange car. In size - a typical compact, but very wide, although, probably, with a width of 1620 mm, this model is not very knocked beyond the scope of the class to which it could belong. The matter is different. If even the most courageous, in terms of appearance, the debutants of this class, such as Hyundai Atos and Daewoo Matiz, with a special desire, can be classified as five -door hatchbacks with a minivan, then Wagonr+, if not for the rear hinge doors, could be considered reduced on the scale 1/3 of a copy of any minibus produced in the eighties.

Honestly, this cube appeared on wheels ten years earlier, when there were so many models of non -traditional classes, he could really get into the anals of history as the most funny and incomprehensible car. Another thing is now in fashion, the blood mixing, and each self -respecting automaker considers it a matter of honor to show the public the result of his fabrications on what will happen if he crossed a hedgehog and cockroach? At each car dealership, in addition to the demand of traditional hatchbacks, sedans and station wagons, many conceptual models are set up, combining the advantages of several different classes at once and built by the supercar + minivan, an SUV + low -commandance, etc. And what is the strangest, a certain percentage of these developments over a short period of time is quite successfully exchanged for personal savings of customers as a serial model. About the same thing happened with our subject today. The model that has absolutely no analogues has successfully joined the market struggle, and the appearance of a European -made double in the form of Opel Agila only confirms that at one time Suzuki specialists have chosen a very correct and promising direction.

They say that the best is the enemy of the good, but the Wagonr+market success is surprising, which, with all the multifunctionality and external non -casualism, the car very quickly formed its market niche. In principle, it could not be otherwise. On the one hand, the car is very small, which is extremely convenient in the city, because such a crumbs are almost two times less than a full -fledged car. But, on the other hand, the small dimensions of the car are practically not felt inside, even if three passengers are sitting behind, and they all have a very large complexion. Thanks to more than one and a half meters of width inside, the car pleases simply with a margin of space atypical for this class, and more vertical than in an ordinary passenger car, albeit not so suitable for thousands of kilometer warriors, but it provides a quick entrance, which is much more important for an urban car. . What else will the driver will like the Wagonr+driver is mobility and suitability for city trips - high landing and excellent rear -view mirrors erect the maneuverability of this car to the level of a good motorcycle.

In fact, the attitude of our compatriots towards models like Suzuki Wagonr+ can be characterized as a curious-relaxing one. Yes, such a crumb appears to his views in the stream, but at the same time, the vast majority of drivers probably had a thought of the weakness of this car, due to the lack of elementary automotive culture, we have erroneously assigned to ladies' models. And in vain - after all, all over the world, Suzuki is famous not so much by its small -leafers as expensive superbikes, but even in the production of engines for high -speed motorcycles, the company, as they say, ate the dog. Moreover, unlike other compact manufacturers, the company decided not to exchange for small things like liter power units, but offered for Wagonr+ a quite adult engine - 1.3 -liter and 76 horses. Needless to say, a car with a equipped mass of 985 kg of this is more than enough. In dynamics, especially if the case takes place in the city, the car will give way to few. But what is even better - a relatively large -volume power unit with such a small weight allows the car to be not so sensitive to a change in the load, and it’s nice to drive it. The supply of torque allows you to move without problems and drive almost at idle speeds, and the dynamics is no worse than that of larger and larger brothers. There is simply no need to twist the engine very much - already at 2000 rpm, it pulls without problems in the highest gear, which corresponds to about 60 km/h. I probably would have traveled the whole test if Bimmer parked in a narrow place did not force me to overtake sharply, and here I unearthed the charm of the engine of a motorcycle manufacturer. If what happened before the arrow reaches a tachometer of 3000 tachometer can be called simply dynamic acceleration, then only one motorcycle definition is later suitable - undermining. The last time I happened to experience such sensations at the wheel of a crazy turbocharged SAAB, amended for the volume of the engine of course. It is such an effect, as if the turbine has turned on, which gives the Wagonr+engine, if it is tweeted to the red zone of the tachometer. But this does not mean that the car looks like a psychovani turbocharged apparatus - although it is sensitive, but it doesn’t give a special win in the dynamics, and you still won’t turn the engine every time to turn the engine. However, this is not necessary to do this - claiming the role of the ideal city car, Suzuki Wagonr+ should be primarily convenient, which he, in principle, succeeds, because it has a spacious salon, a painful engine, and most importantly, it is made very high quality. So if we someday, and this time will definitely come, we will learn how to notice small, comfortable and economical cars, then about then Suzuki Wasonr+ and will become popular with us. In the meantime, he is prepared for the unenviable role of the pioneer, although, perhaps, for this reason and the presence of a number of advantages, this model will be able to break the buyer. Well, time will tell ...

(+) Capacity, high maneuverability, excellent engine craving, clear work of the gearbox, good assembly quality, thoughtful ergonomics of the salon, pleasant to the touch and expensive in the appearance of plastic, the presence of ABS and airbags.

(-) The noise of the engine at high speeds, the lack of adjustment of the steering column in height.


Text: Pavel Kozlovsky
 

A source: Autogazet / N 25 (328) dated 08.22.01