Maruti Suzuki S-Presso

A Budget Hatchback on Stilts

Contrary to what most people think, ‘SUV’ is a body style, and does not define its purpose or abilities. There are many cars in our market which don’t serve an SUV’s purpose, but because of their body style are still categorised as SUVs. Maruti Suzuki calls its S-Presso a ‘mini-SUV’, and while it does have rugged looks and a high ground clearance, it neither has an SUV body style, nor the abilities. It is a hatchback on stilts at best, and should be categorised as such. But regardless of how you’d categorise it, the S-Presso still packs many ‘Maruti’ things which many buyers would appreciate, like good fuel economy, low maintenance costs, and so on. It sits in the already expansive list of A-segment hatchbacks on offer by Maruti Suzuki, and competes against rugged rivals like the Renault Kwid. Let’s take a look at what it has to offer.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Pros and Cons 

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Exterior Design 

Where most manufacturers are adopting radical, butch, and modern designs, the S-Presso does things its own way. Most design elements are traditional, but the way they’re packaged is anything but attractive. To give it an SUVesque stance, Maruti has made the S-Presso tall, but with height being more than width, the S-Presso looks disproportionate. The 14-inch steel wheels are also not flush with the body, which looks awkward. Bumpers at both ends have thick cladding on them to give a rugged look, and Maruti Suzuki is offering a host of optional accessories to make your S-Presso appear slightly more to your taste, including some chrome elements, LED DRLs, alloy wheels and wheel arch claddings. Overall, the S-Presso’s design leaves you wanting more, and looks would not be the reason buyers pick this over other models in the Maruti stable.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Interiors 

Maruti Suzuki has done a better job designing the interior of the S-Presso. It takes inspiration for the dashboard design from Mini Cooper, with a large circular insert placed in the middle of the dash, housing the instrument cluster up top, infotainment system in the middle, and AC controls at the bottom. People will have to get used to the instrument cluster not being behind the wheel, but the large digital speed readout is easy to read. The odometer and trip computer display on the other hand, is too small to glance at while driving, and there is no tachometer. The dash is finished in hard plastics, but the finish quality is pretty good. Body coloured inserts around the air con vents and the circular housing on the dash add zing to an otherwise functional cabin.

Thanks to the tall boy design, the glass area is big and fills the dark themed cabin with light. The spacious cabin is also somewhat practical, with front passengers getting door bins to store water bottles, cupholders, and a small shelf above the sizable glove compartment. The rear, however, has just one bottle holder. The boot has a capacity of just 240-litres, but it seems larger in person. The loading lip is a little high so you will have to haul your luggage, but once you do, you will find plenty of space to fit in a few bags. The rear seat backrest can also be folded down to open up more cargo space. Boot space is severely impacted in the CNG variants.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Comfort 

The S-Presso gets one piece seats up front which have soft cushioning, and are pretty comfortable. There’s not much bolstering, but the seats do a good job of keeping you comfortable even on longer journeys. The fixed headrests, however, are a tad small, and taller passengers will find the seats to be too high set. Expectedly, there’s also no seat height adjustability. It’s a similar story in the rear. Seat cushioning is soft and comfortable, but there’s not much bolstering to hold passengers in place. The cabin is also narrow, so three passengers at the back will be a squeeze. Rear passengers will also crave for head support over longer journeys, as the tiny fixed headrests do nothing to keep your head and neck comfortable. There’s more than enough headroom though, and legroom and knee room is also generous for the segment. 

The suspension of the S-Presso is designed for low-speed commutes. At urban speeds, the bump absorption is good, and 180 mm of ground clearance helps on broken patches of road. However, the suspension starts feeling stiffer the faster you go, and at higher speeds, most bumps will be felt in the cabin. There’s also a bit of vertical movement, and the S-Presso enjoys being driven at city speeds, rather than being pushed on highways.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Performance and handling

Powering the S-Presso is the same 1.0-litre 3-cylinder K10C engine that powers other models like the Alto K10, Celerio, and Wagon R. The engine is refined and smooth, and despite being a 3-cylinder engine, there isn’t much sound at low revs. The engine stays vibration free at high revs too, and feels peppy thanks to the low kerb weight of around 750 kgs. There is also a factory-fitted CNG option, which is very economical, but gets slightly less power. You also get the choice of either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT automatic gearbox, but the CNG variants are only available in manual. The manual gearbox is easy to use, with the throws being short and the clutch light. AMT is also one of the better entry level automatics out there, and delivers smooth and relatively fast shifts.

The S-Presso gets a light and easy to operate steering wheel, which is very helpful at city speeds. The turning circle is tiny too, but the steering wheel doesn’t self-centre well, so that is something to be mindful of while driving. The S-Presso also doesn’t enjoy changing directions at high speeds, but the straight line stability is not bad.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Key specifications 

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Safety Features

Maruti cars haven't always delivered a sense of safety, and the S-Presso is no different. It gets a disappointing 1-star Global NCAP crash test score, and only bare minimum safety features that are mandated by the government. These include two airbags, ABS and EBD. But that should not be an issue in urban environments where speeds are usually in check. There are also reverse parking sensors as standard, but no reverse camera even in the top variants.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso Technology and Infotainment

Top-end variants of the S-Presso get a 7-inch ‘SmartPlay Studio’ touchscreen infotainment system, which is equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It is paired with two speakers that do a passable job. It also gets steering mounted controls, bluetooth, USB and aux connectivity, and voice commands. Electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors are also a part of the equipment list for the top variant, but there are no power windows at the back. Middle variants also get a music system, but no touchscreen. 

Is the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso for you?

The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso’s appearance itself will drive away a lot of buyers, which is a sad thing because the S-Presso does indeed have promise. For its price, it is one of the roomiest cars in India, and it also gets a peppy engine, great gearboxes, and comfortable seats. The limited features on offer are ones you’d need most, and overall, the S-Presso is a package that’s good enough to consider, despite the existence of capable rivals like the Alto K10 and Renault Kwid.