A jaunt account

It's for big families that usually spill out of small cars. We drive the Versa, Maruti Suzuki's new ‘two-in-one’ car

It's really tall, and combined with its compact track and wheelbase dimensions, its stance doesn't inspire any thought of tackling corners hard and fast. If it was the tall boy stakes in question now, the Maruti Suzuki Versa would scoop up top honours disdainfully, even with all its four tyres deflated and standing next to a jacked-up Wagon R. Yes, pictures of dynamic stability, or the lack of it, clouded my perception as I was thrown the keys to one in a pre-launch drive, organised at Manesar (near Delhi), by the nation's largest car maker.

The Versa, at first glance conjures up a memory of the high-roof version of the Omni, but the picture vanishes as soon as it appears. The Versa is a universe apart, and as one takes in its looks, the evolution of 'people mover' is all too apparent to the eye. For one, the pout of a bonnet ahead instantly ensures better occupant safety during a frontal collision, while in terms of styling and fit and finish, the difference is perceptible too. And, no, you haven't been short-changed if you pop the bonnet and find only a radiator, a few essential-fluids flaps and the car jack inside – the Versa's Esteem-derived, four cylinder, 1298 CC, fuel injected mill cosies itself beneath driver and co-passenger front seats. With 82 peak horses and 10.4 kgm of maximum hauling power, that's liberal juice for lugging up to eight passengers, or about 600 kg, in payload terms.

Style and substance
The Versa is not going to win any beauty pageants. It's not at all bad-looking from up front or side-on, it could even be termed as handsome, but a look at its derriere, and you know there's something missing in the packaging here. A skirt below the rear bumper would help matters a lot by lending the vehicle a better-grounded appearance. Helped by the fact that the rubber is mounted on smart alloys, the SDX version looks a lot more purposeful than its other two siblings, though its roof-mounted spoiler with an integrated stop lamp doesn't still lend that essential and missing character to the rear-end.

The Versa chattered into quiet life as the ignition key was cranked. Looking around, there was this inimitable Suzuki quality to the interiors; in fact one could draw almost direct comparisons with the Wagon R. Although those numerous cubby-holes and cupholders that liberally dot the original tall boy's interiors were missing. The view of the road ahead was slightly more commanding though, thanks to the vehicle's taller stance while the front two seats were comfortable enough – firm, supportive and ensuring complete support for the back. Overall ergonomics are above average too, with all controls falling to hand easily, especially that gear knob that slotted so effortlessly.

A six footer will feel quite at home behind the wheel, while the well endowed will welcome the tilt steering system in the top two versions. If you are in the rear seat, ride quality falls in the Wagon R/ Santro league and that means it's not going to be too comfortable over long highways. There's plenty of leg room to compensate however, while shoulder room is adequate enough to seat three weight-conscious adults side by side. Bigger built people will find it a bit of a squeeze for the shoulders; this is no Qualis or Sumo, remember? Seat up to eight people (seven in the SDX) from the office car pool and barely have enough room for overnight luggage, or keep reducing the passenger manifest until you have just the two of you and a month-load of camping luggage... the Versa will switch from business to pleasure and people to goods magically.

So what else is special to the Versa? While air-con is standard across trim levels, the top-end SDX and the one-rung-lower DX2 sport separate side-mounted air-con vents for rear passengers; the basic DX gets the usual facia blowers instead. The rear air-con vents are positioned directly above the windows, and this does a very efficient job of cancelling out the heat that comes through the wind-down glass in the first place. Electric power steering is common to all versions as is the digital tripmeter and electronic tachometer. While you are at it Maruti, could you bung an air con unit into the poor old Omni too?

Fast forward
Driving the Versa is an enjoyable experience. With four passengers on board, the Versa pulls away rapidly, while the short ratio gearing adopted for its load-hauling applications makes it more driveable than the Esteem. Gearshifts can be executed snappily, and while the shifter doesn't have the light crispness of the Esteem, it's a lot less rubbery in quality when contrasted with other contemporary cars from the Maruti Suzuki bunch like the Wagon R.

The light clutch allows for slipping, and repeated harassment of this robust unit even in a blazing, 38° Celsius ambient temperature doesn't evince even the slightest hint of stickiness or burning. For those inclined towards high-revving take-offs, the Versa is quite game, though because of its rear wheel drive configuration, it is nearly impossible to spin up the tyres while launching the vehicle on a sand-free stretch of tarmac. Incidentally, over the silky smooth and newly laid stretches of road in and around Manesar, the Versa clocked all of 140 kph quite easily when spurred, but hang on till we do a road test for those performance numbers.

One good turn
The power-assisted steering system makes light work of hauling the Versa around corners and combined with its 4.5 metre turning radius, is a boon while parking. The downside of this over-servoed system is that road feedback progressively gives out past 80 kph, combined with a degree of steering play that eases into the equation. So don't expect responsive crispness of steering when you hustle this MPV towards and into three-digit speeds. The vehicle feels very stable at straight-line speeds, and this is aided to quite an extent by the matte-black air dam incorporated under the front bumper.

Reducing the airflow below, and therefore the resultant lift that occurs at high speed, makes the vehicle 'sit' close to the road. With the windows up, crosswinds do not do much to affect straight-line, high speed dynamics. Drop a window at over 100 kph though, and the resulting turbulence will make the Versa meander gently from its designated line – nothing unusual or alarming. In fact it's actually surprising that overall dynamics have been fine-tuned this well, considering the large surface profile this MPV presents.

The Versa, if provoked into the act, is tail-happy (and can be fun, as I found out) when it comes to taking fast corners. A special mention must be made of its lack of pitching while braking hard and no perceptible body roll when tackling faster turns. The quality of ride is good when the going is rough and at higher speeds, but with a complement of four passengers, the Versa tends to pitch a bit over the small undulations that might occur over a stretch of smooth road.

The final countdown
What's most interesting is that Maruti Suzuki is selling a whole new transport concept in this country. While the Omni was an instant success when it was introduced, its bare-basic fare has lost it favour as the years have passed. Is the Versa with its sumptuous equipment list, more powerful engine and better road manners a worthy upgrade? The Bachhans' endorsement of the Versa apart, it remains to be seen whether you will be willing to shell out the same amount for this 'van' as a more prestigious mid-size car, three extra seats notwithst anding. The price tags? Rs 5,15,000 for the DX, Rs 5,45,000 for the DX2 and Rs 5,80,000 for the top-end SDX (ex-showroom Delhi). The competition in MPVs has just got hotter. Welcome, Versa!