Maruti Versa

If you are looking out for a station wagon that you can drive to work and also take out your family and friends for a picnic, you can safely reach out for the Maruti Versa, a mini-van with the looks of a car.

The Maruti Versa, unlike the Omni, has a fairly well-defined snout with a three-groove grille. The bonnet, the headlights, the black chin spoiler and the bumper with a huge air-intake capacity give it a sporty look. It is an incredibly light car. Decked in a conventional van layout, the Versa's engine is located under the front seats.

Its bonnet houses the radiator and electric fan as well as the AC condenser and reservoirs for the coolant, washer fluid and brake fluid. The Versa uses disc brakes for the front and also has a pressure-regulating valve.

The side panels are tastefully delineated with snazzy graphics, which extend from the tail lamp to the front door. The car employs the proven and ultra reliable 1298cc four-cylinder SOHC of the Esteem. Maruti engineers have taken special care to reduce noise, vibrations and harshness levels to acceptable limits. They have also made appreciable efforts to improve safety features in the car, and the monocque construction provides a rigid safety cell with side impact bars to protect against frontal impacts. Firm suspension settings ensure comfort and control.

The Versa's interiors have a familiar Maruti ring. The interiors are tastefully done with brushed aluminium look, though a substantial borrowing has been made from the Maruti family parts bin to bring down costs. With a similar dashboard, steering wheel and instrument panel, there is very little difference between a Versa, the Alto or a WagonR. But the new SDX version of the Versa has a leather-wrapped steering wheel and metallic finished dashboard.

The SDX version is a seven-seater, while the base Versa DX and the middle variant DX2 is an eight-seater. One can slide and recline the front row seats to adjust space between the first and middle rows. The SDX and DX2 versions of the Versa are equipped with twin air conditioners — one in front and one at the rear. The rear AC has independent controls and overhead ducts.

The Versa is probably among the safest cars to drive. Safety features include side-impact absorbing beams, front-impact beams and a steel pipe frame in the rear seat. Height adjustable head restraints, brake boosters and a collapsible steering column are the other safety features.

The Versa boasts of a powerful 16-valve, 1298cc engine generating 82 bhp at 6000 rpm, and controlled by a 16-bit engine management system. The car also possesses higher power to weight ratio not present in any other MUV. The Versa can reach 100 kmph from standstill position in just 13.5 seconds.

Versa DX2

Versa DX

Versa SDX