Maruti Suzuki S-Presso

On first look, the S-Presso appears to offer all the ingredients of an SUV. The car has an upright shape, squared off front end with a high bonnet with the headlights that merge into the Brezza-like grille. The sides feature thin side cladding and 14-inch wheels with modest set of wheel-caps. There are no alloy wheels on any variant, though Maruti does have an extensive list of accessories that can be added to the model. The rear is pretty simple with a rugged looking bumper that adds some character. The SUV-ish 180mm of ground clearance is however impressive and the vehicle is also 120mm longer than the Alto. Overall, the S-Presso looks interesting, but then, looks are subjective and will evoke a mixed opinion.

The interior looks fresh with an all-black theme and it features colour-coded orange bits on the top-spec variant. The digital speedometer is mounted on the centre of an upright dashboard, while the touchscreen infotainment system is positioned right below it. The central AC vents are positioned on either side of the instrument cluster.

The front seats offer good seating position and are comfortable with adequate under thigh support. The rear offers adequate legroom, however seating three occupants in the back is a bit of a squeeze. The headrest in the back are awkwardly positioned low and it is pretty much unusable. Overall, we liked the quality of the materials is it is indeed good for a car in this price range.

The top-spec variant of the S-Presso get a manual air conditioner, a 7.0-inch SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment system with voice recognition, steering-mounted controls, rear parcel tray, body-coloured ORVMs and door handles, and a 12V accessory socket. Surprisingly, the top-spec end variant does not get a day and night toggle switch on the inside rear view mirror.

The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso offers 240-litres of boot space which expand by 30-litres without the parcel tray.

The S-Presso is powered by a single BS-6 compliant 1-litre K10b petrol engine which comes mated to a five-speed manual and a five-speed AMT option. We drove the auto gear shift version first and it is quick to respond even with a little throttle input. However, there a slight lag in auto gear selector which is pretty normal with all cars with an AMT.

On the other hand, the five-speed manual version feels more responsive. The shift feels a little rubbery but the clutch is light and it is ideal for driving within the city. Driving in the 60-80kmph range is comfortable and it gets noisier when pushed harder. The vehicle handles bad roads efficiently and the vehicle felt stable while cruising at 100kmph.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso is a perfect city car and can accommodates itself in the tightest of the spaces with ease. However, in terms of pricing the S-Presso faces stiff competition from the new Kwid as it undercuts the former by a fair margin. The AMT option is boon for driving within the city limits. The car is fuel efficient and delivers the claimed figure of 21.7kmpl.

Photo Credit: Kapil Angane