Wagon R

Overview

The Wagon R has outlasted every trend in the entry hatchback market because it solves one problem exceptionally well: it makes five people comfortable in a body shorter than most sub-compacts. The tall, boxy shape gives genuine headroom and an upright seating position that older and taller buyers find far easier to get in and out of than a low-slung hatchback, and the 1.0-litre petrol with 67 bhp is geared for economical progress rather than anything more.

The running-cost story is the other half of the appeal. There is a CNG factory option in this line-up that cuts city running cost to a fraction of petrol, the manual returns a claimed 24 kmpl, and the mechanical simplicity keeps servicing almost trivial. Visibility is excellent, the turning circle is a market-street asset, and the boot, small at 189 litres with the rear bench up, swallows a fortnight of groceries when the seat is folded.

The trade-off is pace and protection. Pulling away at full load on a flyover asks the little 1.0-litre for everything it has, wind noise creeps in above 90 km/h, and the safety rating is the weakest part of the case: two airbags and a two-star Global NCAP adult score on the volume variants, with six reserved for the top trim. The Wagon R is not trying to be exciting, and as a low-cost, low-drama family runabout it remains one of the most rational purchases in the catalogue.

• Segment-best headroom and upright seating
• Factory CNG option for low running cost
• Tight turning circle for crowded streets