Maruti Suzuki S-Presso

The S-Presso builds on Maruti Suzuki’s core strength of making some of India’s favourite small cars but gives it an SUV flavour. While it was introduced to give new car buyers something spacious and practical with a small footprint, it has quickly gone on to become a favourite in the cab market as well, while also being popular in the hill parts of India. 

I’ve spent a lot of time with the S-Presso and have even taken it off-road. In this review, let’s take a look at what it gets right and what it could do better.

While S-Presso was previewed by the Concept Future-S, it’s fair to say most of the concept car’s design didn’t really make it through to the production car. The design was polarising when it first came out and while we’re more used to it now, it still isn’t as universally attractive as say, the Renault Kwid. 

Tall and narrow, that’s how we’d describe the S-Presso’s stance. It sits high as well with 180mm of ground clearance. While there’s a good helping of body cladding, it doesn’t get roof rails. To be honest, it looks better off without them. 

Viewed from the front, the headlamps, toothy grille and that large bumper will remind you a bit of the old Brezza. Bits like the tall and flat bonnet and the sharply raked A-pillar are more cues for you to think it’s got some SUV genes in its design. 

From the side, you’d first notice the lack of alloy wheels even on the top-spec variant. The tiny indicator on the front fender is a straight lift from a twenty-year-old Zen.

The S-Presso has XL-sized doors, and while they didn’t at first, Maruti now offers some lower body cladding to help break the monotony of solid colour.

The rather bland rear end isn’t anything to write home about. Maybe Maruti Suzuki could've chosen to liven this place up with LED elements in the tail lamps. Even something minor as spreading out the S-Presso badging over the centre of the boot would've added some life to this sedate rear end. 

It’s not the most youthful looking car in design but Maruti has offered some nice colours that pop. My favourite option is Solid Fire Red but other options include Solid Sizzle Orange, Pearl Starry Blue, Metallic Granite Grey, Metallic Silky Silver and Bluish Black.

Design & Quality

The tiny dashboard, the quirky circular element in the centre and the centrally-mounted speedometer all grab attention instantly. The bezels on the centre console and side AC vents get a silver finish that makes for a nice contrast. Quality levels here seem acceptable for a car this size. It’s a couple of notches up from the Alto, and a level below the WagonR. 

Front Seats

The doors on the S-Presso open wide, and you can simply walk into the cabin. Compared to the Alto and Kwid where you have to lower yourself into the car, this is much easier. Once in, you’ll agree that Maruti Suzuki has managed to eke out some serious space from a car this small. It’s a genuine family car that can seat four six-footers with ease. And that’s a surprise! 

The first part of the surprise is the cabin width. Despite being narrower by almost 60mm compared to the Kwid, the S-Presso manages to deliver better shoulder room. At the front, you’ll notice the power window switches on the centre console. That saves some vital space on the door pad. Then, the door pads are super narrow — giving you those crucial extra millimetres of width. Headroom is a strong point in both seat rows and even users over 6 feet tall will be comfortable.

Maruti has opted for super soft cushioning for the seats. And this feels comfy, if you’re out and about for a small city sprint. However, if you had to spend upwards of an hour or two in these seats, you’d wish they were a little firmer. On a related note, the seats feel narrow and could’ve done with more bolstering too. You also miss out on adjustable headrests, but the integrated unit does support the neck and head adequately.

Rear Seat

When it comes to knee room, the S-Presso is a big leap ahead from the Alto, and noticeably more than the Kwid too. In fact, compare the numbers to the Ignis (that’s a bigger car, with a bigger wheelbase) and the S-Presso manages to outshine that as well. Here, headroom is ample even for those slightly taller than six feet. What’s likely to be a bother are the integrated headrests. It barely supports the base of the neck for someone who’s 5’8”-5’10”. If you’re taller still, you’re left with virtually no support. 

It’s a bit much to expect a car this small to be able to seat five. Naturally, three abreast at the rear is super tight, and definitely not recommended. It’s a comfortable four-seater that leaves ample room for everyone when used as one.

Storage Options

There’s a small glovebox, a handy shelf above it for your wallet and phone and 1-litre bottle holders on the door. The floor console gets a couple of cup holders and a small cubby for some knick-knacks. Except for maybe the cubby feeling slightly small for large-screened phones, you shouldn’t have any complaints with storage space at the front. Sadly, that’s not something we can say about the rear. Save for the small rectangular cubby on the floor (behind the handbrake) - there’s absolutely nothing. No door pockets, and no seatback pockets even.

Charging Options

Charging options in the S-Presso are limited. You get a 12V charging socket up front, which you can use for in car accessories, car vacuum cleaners etc. There’s a USB connection with the infotainment system available from the Vxi grade.

Features

Even in the top-spec variant, the S-Presso is quite bare-bones. The highlight here is the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It’s responsive and easy to use; although connecting the phone via Android Auto seemed to take quite a while.

This screen is paired with a couple of speakers mounted low in the front doors. Expectedly, audio quality is just about alright. What’s rather annoying is that Maruti hasn’t even provided slots in the rear door to get speakers fitted from the aftermarket. You’ll have to use the parcel tray to mount the rear speakers. Speaking of the rear, there are no power windows here, nor is there a charging socket for your phone — both of which are offered on the Kwid.

Expectedly, you get manual air-conditioning. And this, we believe, is among the best we’ve seen on a small car. It can get seriously cold (and we mean shivering cold) inside the cabin in no time. We tested the car in hot and humid Jodhpur, and the car had no issues keeping the cabin pleasantly chilly. It bodes well that a lot of cabs are S-Pressos, considering cab drivers rarely use anything higher than blower speed 1 on the AC.

The centrally-mounted speedometer will take some getting used to, especially since you need to take your eyes off the road to view it. The orange backlit display is home to the usual information including two trip meters, instantaneous fuel efficiency and distance to empty. It’s missing a tachometer, though. 

We expected the S-Presso to be slightly better equipped. And we aren’t really talking about the flashy bits. Smaller elements such as a day/night mirror, powered ORVMs, a pair of washer jets (instead of one), and a rear wiper/defogger would’ve strengthened the S-Presso’s practical appeal. A height-adjustable driver’s seat and (at least) tilt adjust for the steering would’ve been a bonus. Not to mention, the rear windows are manual only.

Maruti’s ‘micro-SUV’ gets dual front airbags as standard across the range, along with ABS with EBD and reverse parking sensors. What remains missing is a rear parking camera and it doesn’t get a 4 or 6 airbag option either.

While Bharat NCAP has not crash tested the S-Presso, in 2022, the car was crash tested by Global NCAP and the car only scored 1/5 stars for crash safety.

The 270-litre boot is practical for a city car. We could put in two backpacks and two cabin-sized overnighter bags with ease and had some room to spare for another backpack.

The S-Presso gets a 1-litre petrol engine that gets a 5-speed manual transmission as standard. This engine and transmission is also available with a factory-fit CNG kit. The petrol engine is also available with the option of an automated manual transmission (AMT).

City Performance

With the S-Presso, you get the tried and tested 1-litre, 3-cylinder engine that we’ve seen in the Alto K10 and the WagonR. Start the engine up and you hear the familiar thrummy 3-cylinder note. Vibrations, however, are quite well controlled. Unless you’re driving at a really slow speed in a high gear, it wouldn’t be bothersome. 

Thankfully, stricter emission norms haven’t really choked the performance out of this engine. It’s the same peppy, thrummy engine that loves to be revved up. It’s quite easy-going inside the city. You can practically stay in second or third gear throughout the commute, and the engine wouldn’t protest. It does just fine crawling over speed breakers in second and pulling up to speed in the same gear. This also makes darting in and out of gaps in traffic stress-free. What makes the drive experience easier is that controls - typical of a small Maruti - are super light, and require no effort. 

Of course, you can pick the AMT and leave the gear changing business to the car. It’s a commuter, so make sure you temper expectations before you head out for a test drive. Performance from the AMT is as you’d expect - it gets the job done. Upshifts, for the most part, are smooth; but you’d notice the downshifts. If you press the accelerator fully for an overtake, it’d take a second or two to downshift. This is why highway overtakes in the S-Presso AMT requires a little more planning. 

Between the two, we'd pick the manual. It's simply effortless to drive inside the city. Second, it also makes the driving experience that much more involving. Depending on driving conditions, you can expect around 14-15kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

On the highway, this engine is at ease cruising between 80-100kmph. But overtaking fast-moving traffic in fifth is a no-no. You will have to downshift to get the acceleration you need. However, if you are cruising around 60-70kmph in third or fourth, you can simply step on the accelerator and make quick progress. Certainly, the S-Presso isn’t a car you’d enjoy driving at high speeds but it feels responsive enough manage a small inter-city commute. Depending on driving conditions, you can expect around 20-21kmpl on the highway.

Note: S-Presso CNG Performance

On CNG mode, the Celerio does feel more dull to drive but thankfully, the petrol engine’s default setting is quite peppy so it’s still usable. Basic city commutes are no hassle and you can live with it quite easily as a city car.

If you intend on using the S-Presso CNG on the highway very often, it’s best to drive at 80kmph or less and be patient with overtakes, especially on highways with heavy truck traffic. Any higher and the engine starts feeling underpowered. This feeling of a lack of power is amplified when the car is driven with a full passenger load or on hilly roads.

Ride Comfort

Normally, city cars have a very soft suspension that tends to get bouncy at high speeds or with a full passenger load. Here though, the S-Presso’s suspension is balanced i.e. the low speed ride is slightly stiff but you can go through potholes and bumps quickly. What you will experience more of is some side-to-side tossing because of the car’s raised ride height but the car stays comfortable on good roads and bad. It comes as no surprise that it’s popular in the hilly parts of India. And there’s another reason for that.

Handling

The S-Presso is an easy handler. While it’s a tall car it isn’t especially wide. In that sense, it has the same advantage as cars like the Eeco, Jimny and Alto, meaning you can deal with narrow bylanes and crowded streets very easily. It’s no budget enthusiast car but you can zip through the city in a hassle-free manner.

• The S-Presso is available in 4 variants - STD (O), LXi (O) , VXi (O) and VXi+ (O).

• The base and top variants are the only ones not available with the option of CNG.

Maruti S-Presso STD (O) variant

• This variant is as basic as it gets and looks like it too.

• The door handles, bumpers and mirrors are unpainted, there are no wheel covers.

• It doesn’t even get air conditioning, something very much needed even in the taxi market.

• Its standard safety package, however, does include 2 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP and more.

Maruti S-Presso LXi (O) variant

• Basics like an AC with heater and power steering are added. 

• Central locking, power windows and electric mirror adjustment are still not offered.

Maruti S-Presso VXi (O) variant

• Body coloured bumpers get added as do full wheel covers but the door handles and mirrors are still unpainted.

• Remote keyless entry, a 12V socket, internally adjustable mirrors and front power windows added. It also gets central locking.

• While it doesn’t get a touchscreen infotainment system, it does get a basic head unit with AUX, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and 2 speakers.

• This variant also adds the Smartplay Dock and app which you can download on your phone and place the phone on a holder in the centre console.

• The app relays information like car alerts in real time but most media functions could be run from your phone via Bluetooth anyway.

Maruti S-Presso VXi+ (O) variant

• Mirrors and door handles are now body coloured.

• Electrically-adjustable mirrors and a rear parcel tray get added here.

• A key addition is the 7-inch SmartPlay Studio touchscreen with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay.

CarDekho Recommends:

• Only consider the VXi+ (O). The S-Presso, even when fully-loaded, is very basic and the only variant we’d buy for personal use is the one that has all of what few features the car offers.

Is the S-Presso redefining the small city car formula? Not really. Granted, it does excel in the bare basics you expect from an inexpensive hatchback. It’s among the most spacious entry-level cars you can buy, seating a small family with ease. The boot too is a pleasant surprise that can handle a weekend’s luggage. The package is rounded off by the 1-litre motor that’s proven to be reliable as well as efficient. You get to pick an AMT too, which we think is a bonus. The real highlight for the S-Presso is how easy it is to get used to, and drive. Couple the light controls and high seating position together, and it’s easy to favour the little Maruti as the first car in the family.

Where the S-Presso fails to wow is in the design department. It doesn’t make you want it, for example, like the Kwid does. Also, when you factor in the features you get versus the price you pay — it’s not scoring particularly high on value for money either. For a similar budget, it’s Renault again that seems to offer so much more for your money. That said, the biggest reason for one to not buy the S-Presso comes from within the Maruti Suzuki family in the form of the WagonR. Prices for the S-Presso are very close to that of its elder sibling. If you’re willing to stretch your budget by a little, it’s a bigger and better car in every way.

Other Options To Consider

Maruti WagonR

Reasons To Consider

• Better cabin space

• More features

• Peppier and more refined engine options available

Reason To Ignore

• You prefer the S-Presso’s styling

• The WagonR is more common a car

Renault Kwid

Reasons To Consider

• Better styling

• Better infotainment and features package

Reason To Ignore

• Engine’s performance isn’t as peppy or smooth