WAGON R FLEXIBLE, SANTRO COMFY AND WELL BUILT
These cars are all about making the best use of interior space and each one scores in different areas. The Wagon R has considerably more legroom for the driver wherein tall drivers can actually get comfortable. And while legroom at the rear is the same as the Santro, the Wagon R allows you to choose how you split the space between the front and the rear. In contrast, tall drivers find it impossible to get comfortable at the Santro's wheel for long distances. Moreover, the knees and the ankles need to be flexed a great deal. The Wagon R also has more cubbyholes and places to store odds and ends.
The Santro does everything else better as far as the interiors are concerned. The passenger is surrounded by better quality around him, better plastics on the dash, on the gear-knob and on the three-spoke steering wheel. While Hyundai has peppered the plastics with a subtle leather finish, the Wagon R's plastic quality and design leave much to be desired.
The Santro also has more supportive, better contoured seats that keep occupants more comfortable despite overall space being similar. The Wagon R's seats are flat, square and lack support. In addition, the rear bench is split, meaning lower levels of comfort for rear seat passengers. However, the split-seats allow for greater flexibility when it comes to loading luggage and can even be reclined or turned into a bed.
Other niggles on the Maruti include poor visibility for the driver due to extra large A-pillars placed up front and lack of power windows in the rear. It has no seat-belt for the centre passenger, because it’s not supposed to have a centre passenger. The Wagon R is a pure four-seater, while the Santro can take a fifth at a squeeze. Unlike the base Santro, the base Wagon R model, the LX, has no power steering, none of the models have internally adjustable mirrors and only the top-of-the-line VXi model has a leather-covered steering wheel.
The Wagon R clearly has more luggage space, good enough for two big bags. With the seats folded, this Maruti can lug a small refrigerator. The question is how often will you use it?