<p>Powered by Maruti Suzuki’s reliable K-series all aluminum engine, the hatchback gets a 998cc petrol unit which is a decent performer on the road. Packing 67 horses under its hood at a higher 6000 rpm, the hatchback generates a maximum torque of 90Nm at 3500 rpm which is quite decent on paper. The straight line stability is quite good for the hatch but the body roll issue still haunts the WagonR especially at fast corners. Due to slim tyres and a boxed design, the drive is not the most confidence inspiring but then again it is a city commuter and not your race track car so every day driving is a breeze. Its suspension remains on the softer ride which helps the hatch traverse through potholes with ease but while crossing bad section of roads at higher speeds, the same gets easily conveyed on the inside. But what remains an exciting feature for the WagonR is the introduction of Maruti Suzuki’s Auto Gear Shift apart from the 5 speed manual transmission. The auto shift is a semi-automatic transmission which uses a cable mechanism and lets go of the clutch pedal to reduce manual input. This helps in bumper to bumper traffic without compromising too much on the efficiency as well. However, the Auto Gear Shift is not exactly a complete automatic gearbox and thus gear shifts take their fair amount of time.

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