Zen Estilo vs Wagon R

Powertrain and performance
In India both are powered by the same engine and both offer very similar performance. Our road tests of the Zen proved that in a straight line it will compete well with the Wagon R. Standstill to 60 kph, the Zen is marginally quicker even (6.16 sec vs 6.35 sec), and the Wagon R has a hair-breadth’s lead when it comes to 100 kph (16.3 vs 16.26 sec). Both are peppy in the typically Japanese small car way and both run out of breath on highways. Overtaking continues to be a calculated affair in both cars but is not a worry once you get familiar with the ratios. Gearshift quality in both cars is not as desirable as it should be, with the Wagon R lever offering better feel than that of the Zen (no, the gear knob borrowed from the Swift does not help matters here). The Zen gear lever is so vague that I spent quality time deciding whether the car was in neutral or not before turning the key. Hey, Maruti, please look into this and ensure that the gear lever does not feel as if it is a primitive device to make ginger-garlic paste. Nothing a quality plastic socket and rubber lining cannot cure, I dare say.
 Wagon R: ****
Zen Estilo: *** 

Ride and handling
The Wagon R feels like a mini SUV on bad to terrible roads and can handle a great deal of abuse. The Zen Estilo offers an equally good ride on bad roads but it loses poise easily as speed increases. If you have to hit a series of potholes at close to three digit speeds and still end up laughing, then you better be driving the Wagon R. I get this feeling that Suzuki did over-engineer the Wagon R so as to compensate its overall tall stance. These are not cars you buy to attack corners in, but if cutting lanes is your thing, then they are very good at it. Both cars are nervous wrecks when you attempt high-speed cornering. I personally would root for the lower Zen Estilo to the taller Wagon R, but I have had a good time driving the Wagon R on mountain roads to not dismiss it easily. Let us put it this way, both these cars are way more capable handlers than what they look like.At Expressway speeds, the Wagon R, despite its boxy silhouette, is more stable and less susceptible to cross winds. The overall aerodynamics of the Zen Estilo is often found in conflict with cross-winds and is capable of moving the car a couple of lanes – so be careful. Also, I get this strong feeling that despite similar suspension mounting points in both cars, the Zen Estilo suffers from damping issues. Perhaps the rear springs and dampers are set far too soft for Expressway speeds.
Wagon R: ****
Zen Estilo: *** 

Verdict
So there, no mistaking the fact that the Wagon R is the superior machine here. It rides and handles better than its sibling and has performance that is on par. As far as economy goes, the Zen Estilo returned 15 kpl on the combined driving cycle (metro, suburb, highway) on a regular basis while the best we got out of the Wagon R was 14 kpl. Not much to pick from, right? But there is a clincher to this story and that comes in the form of safety features. Both these cars are almost identically priced across the range with Rs 500 to Rs 10,000 worth of differences here and there. But let us concentrate on the Wagon R VXi and the Zen Estilo VXi – which come close to Rs 4.5 lakh on-road. Both these cars are available with ABS as an option, while you can opt for driver and passenger airbags on the Wagon R. The Zen Estilo can be ordered with only a driver’s side airbag. In short, if you don’t choose carefully, you will end up with a new car that costs more than the practical and safer choice. You don’t want to do that, right?