BHPian krishna53.sk recently shared this with other enthusiasts: This ownership post also serves as a reminder that vehicles shouldn’t be judged solely by their spec sheets. Real-world performance, drivability, and long-term experience matter far more than brochure highlights. Most buyers get carried away by spec sheets – quoting power and torque figures like A bhp or B Nm at C rpm. Some even go deeper, analyzing torque curves and peak power bands. But the big question remains: do these numbers truly reflect how a car performs in daily driving? In hindsight, the biggest miss in this purchase was skipping a thorough, real-world test drive. While the 1.2L Kappa engine looks acceptable on paper, its performance in actual usage tells a different story. There’s a noticeable lack of low-end torque, especially in the 900-1400 rpm range, right where most city driving happens. The car feels sluggish off the line, making urban commutes feel strained. Even when revved higher, the engine offers little reward, torque delivery falls off again after 3000 rpm, leaving a flat and uninspiring powerband. This gap between spec sheet and real-world delivery is where the Kappa engine truly disappoints. Initially, the lack of performance was attributed to the nature of a 1.2L engine. After all, this was a shift from a 2009 Verna 1.6 petrol, a naturally more powerful car, so the downgrade in performance felt expected. That belief held until a friend arrived in his brand-new WagonR 1.2 (top-end variant). Despite being a tall-boy hatch, the Maruti’s engine delivered ample low-end torque and a strong mid-range, making city drives effortless and responsive. This sparked a deeper investigation. Extensive test drives followed – the Swift (1.2L 4-cylinder), Baleno, and Fronx were all put through their paces. Each of them displayed excellent drivability, with usable power spread across the rev range. That’s when the doubts began: was there something wrong with this particular i20? To confirm, another 2024 i20 from a friend was taken for a long spin. The result was identical. The same lethargy, the same gaps in power delivery. Even a simple upshift from 2nd to 3rd gear causes the RPM to fall into a dead zone – below 1500 rpm, where the engine struggles to respond. It feels eerily similar to the infamous “rubber band” effect in old CVTs, where one has to wait for the RPMs to climb before any noticeable power arrives. The lack of low-end torque doesn’t just hurt drivability, it directly impacts city fuel efficiency. With constant gear changes and the need to push the engine harder to get moving, mileage takes a hit. But is the engine better suited for highways? Unfortunately, No. At cruising speeds of 80-100 km/h, overtaking becomes a hassle, the car simply doesn’t respond when the accelerator is pressed, often forcing downshifts from 5th to even 3rd gear just to execute a safe overtake. a frustrating and sometimes risky affair. The situation worsens in hilly terrain. One trip to Kodaikanal and another to Vagamon (in a convoy with a Venue 1.2 carrying 5+4 passengers) highlighted how severely underpowered the 1.2 Kappa feels on inclines. With five people onboard, the car frequently struggled in 2nd gear on ghat sections. Worse still, there were moments when it couldn’t climb in 1st gear at low rpm – requiring the clutch to be slipped aggressively after revving the engine, just to prevent stalling. This isn’t just inconvenient; it’s borderline dangerous on sharp, narrow hill roads. The Vagamon trip returned mileage readings of around 15 kmpl during the night and roughly 14 kmpl on the mostly daytime return journey, as per the onboard display. Both the i20 and the Venue showed similar numbers, but it’s clear that any Suzuki 1.2L engine could have easily managed 20+ kmpl under similar driving conditions. The speeds were consistently kept between 80-110 km/h, and the night start from Chennai (8 PM) until early morning arrival (5 AM) meant slow driving due to poor visibility – conditions where fuel efficiency should ideally improve. The best mileage recorded with the i20 was during a night drive from Guduvanchery (Work) to Nungambakkam (home), exactly 40 km, cruising steadily at 60-70 km/h on the highway. The instrument cluster showed 23 kmpl, which is decent but still less when compared to a Suzuki 1.2, which would have returned between 28 to 32 kmpl on that same stretch. While discussing these issues with fellow auto enthusiasts, a similar case came up – the Honda CB350. On paper and in drag videos, the CB350 often appears to outperform the Royal Enfield 350, boasting better specs and quicker acceleration. However, real-world usability tells a different story. The CB350 struggles with low-speed torque delivery, especially in everyday scenarios like approaching a speed breaker, where riders often have to drop down to 1st gear. In contrast, the Royal Enfield 350 comfortably handles such situations in 2nd or even 3rd gear, thanks to its accessible torque and smooth power delivery at low speeds. Interestingly, it feels like Suzuki is well aware of Hyundai/Kia’s 1.2 Kappa’s weakness. The new Swift’s brochure, featuring its 3-cylinder engine with slightly less peak power, proudly highlights a banner next to the mileage claim that reads: “Great Low-end Torque – Better City Drives.” . That little jab says a lot. Suzuki clearly understands where the competition falls short and is confident enough to make that a selling point. This experience also helped make a better-informed decision for a family member. An uncle, who lives in the same residential community, was looking to upgrade from his old Zen Estilo. I guided him towards the 2024 WagonR 1.2 ZXI+ AMT – a decision that has proven to be spot-on. The WagonR delivers strong low-end torque and excellent mileage, making it a practical and satisfying car for urban and highway use alike. Since he mostly travels abroad to visit his daughters, the car is often available and during those times, it’s been an absolute pleasure to drive. A replacement for the i20 is now firmly on the horizon – likely to be the new Swift or Baleno, but only after a proper, in-depth test drive of Suzuki’s new 1.2L 3-cylinder engine. If this experience has taught anything, it’s that spec sheets only tell half the story. Real-world performance, especially in the rev bands that matter most, should be the priority for any prospective buyer. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
