Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo Vxi

The Estilo’s styling is a radical departure from the traditional hatchback design of the earlier Zen. In fact, it’s a radical departure from any other small car. The looks are a point of contention and the monospace or MPV look may be hard to digest for some, but others will love it — we fall into the latter category. The cab-forward design has superb proportions and is a breath of fresh air among conventional hatchbacks. The Estilo looks the most modern and futuristic in its class and hence, hides its age very well. The car is actually the earlier-generation Suzuki MR Wagon which was launched in late 2001. Though it’s a pretty old design, it’s still newer than other economy cars including the Santro launched in 1998. The Estilo is underpinned by the Wagon R’s mechanicals.

It has recently been given a facelift which include the canges to the front of the car which was necessary to fit the bigger engine under that short hood, and it’s come as a bonus as they have really improved the looks. The Estilo now looks more aggressive with a larger front bumper, bigger air intake, a larger grille with a chrome strip and peel-back headlamps like on the SX4. Even the rear bumper has been replaced by a more angular one with an integrated fog lamp. The suspension is basic and the front suspension’s control rod is a simple I-arm which has a single location on the chassis (there is no sub-frame). However Maruti has tightened the suspension in favour of improving the handling of the car. It uses independent MacPherson struts at the front and non-independent torsion beam rear suspension with coil springs.