Last year, Maruti Suzuki shook the entire Indian automotive industry by launching the S-Presso. From what was a very nice and beautiful car in its concept form, the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso – in its production form – didn’t turn out to be quite as nice. In fact, it raised some eyebrows with its quirky design.
The design, on the whole, is a bit of a mismatch even for a budget-end car. While it does have a tall and upright stance, the narrow track and uninteresting bits – simply to keep the costs in check – make it look bland and uninspiring.
Look beyond that not-so-pleasing design, and the S-Presso does appear to be quite a package. After all, it dons that Maruti Suzuki badging, which, of course, means it comes with the maker’s dead-drop reliability. So, here are 5 reasons why you should pick the S-Presso over its similarly priced rivals.
1. Powertrain
At the heart of the S-Presso is the manufacturer’s 998cc three-cylinder K10 engine, good for 67bhp and 90Nm of torque. It comes mated to either a 5-speed manual or an AMT. Simply said, this engine is a gem. Sure, the response from the engine is somewhat weak in the lower end of the rev band, but as soon as this engine starts spinning, the car leaps forward with enthusiasm. The 5-speed manual is a slick-shifting unit while the AMT gets the job done, making the S-Presso effortless to drive.
2. Space
One deciding factor for any Indian buyer is the space inside the car. Despite the fact that the S-Presso is a small vehicle, it has loads of interior space. Based on a new platform, the S-Presso takes the ante a step further by offering humongous cabin space. Therefore, it can easily seat four full-size adults. In addition to this, the seats are quite comfortable too. So, the S-Presso might look shabby from outside, but it has loads of cabin space.
3. Features
Of course, space inside the S-Presso is a deciding factor, but what about the equipment onboard? Suffice to say, Maruti’s smallest SUV has you covered on that front too. The top-spec version of the S-Presso boasts the company’s Smartplay Studio infotainment system, which comes with Apple Carplay and Android Auto support. It also features steering-mounted audio controls, a digital speedometer, and remote central locking.The quality of plastics is also very good, at least from the segment standpoint. It also comes with manually-adjustable wing mirrors, which is something missing on the competition.
4. Ride Quality
The ride quality is also very impressive, although high-speed stability is not as good, with the low kerb weight and tall stance acting as the sore point. Even with the narrow tyres, the S-Presso delivers a nice ride quality. On the whole, the suspension of the so-called mini-SUV is set on the softer side, this results in a lacklustre dynamic prowess, which is common amongst new-age Maruti Suzuki cars. There is some weight to the steering wheel as well, however, there is a lot of body roll in the corners.
5. Customizability
The most underrated fact of the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso is its ability to be customized to the consumer’s heart’s content. Like you would normally customize any other car from Maruti Suzuki, the S-Presso can also be customized quite similarly, despite the fact that it’s an entry-level budget-end car. There are lots of customization options on Maruti Suzuki’s Arena webpage, which allows the end-user to customize the car before taking the delivery. This might affect the overall pricing of the car, but it’s certainly worth for someone who wants to stand out from the crowd. Also, grab the latest info on the new cars, only at autoX.