[viXit]

This is dangerous and stupid. My maruti 800 which I drove just yesterday on some curvy back roads has self centering steering wheel.

This points to the fact that the steering is supposed to self centre because of the resistance the turned wheels face during a turn, because the 800 doesn't have either power steering or any fancy EPS. The fact that the ignis, espresso etc. are not coming back to centre means that the EPS is purposefully holding it there, countering the force that the road exerts on the wheels and the steering mechanism. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this just seems like a badly programmed EPS unit.

[Maverick Avi]

This is definitely a pain area in my 2020 Wagon R AGS. Its steering is unnecessarily hard and also does not self center. So I have to keep correcting it even if I am going in a straight line. I felt this during Ignis TD too. This can get dangerous too if you are not used to it. I would definitely want Maruti to fix this if ever they have a plan. It just spoils the mood specially now that I have been spoilt by Aspire's excellent steering.

[ynike99]

This is a known issue in all pre-facelift Ignis cars. This issue is solved in facelifted cars, so Maruti knows the solution for sure.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by viXit

because the 800 doesn't have either power steering or any fancy EPS. The fact that the ignis, espresso etc. are not coming back to centre means that the EPS is purposefully holding it there,

All Alto Lxi models came with EPS. Mine included. It self corrects. Which means EPS has nothing to do with it.

[srishiva]

What are the chances that I drove a new WagonR just yesterday and noticed this
I left the steering turned in a sweeping turn and it just remained there.

But OT, I loved the smooth buttery drivetrain of the car. Engine is very good and having only diesels in my house, it made the driving so different !

[Tgo]

I believe self centring is a function of the steering geometry (kingpin angle, caster etc.) before it is to do with power steering programming.

With all the cost saving Maruti does with its cars i would not be surprised if it is a result of one part fits all philosophy among various platforms that maruti has in its stable.

[jothishX]

I thought I was the only one. Got a 2015 Wagon R that has stiff steering which doesn't auto-center, atleast at less than 60kmph speeds. Have asked the service center guys to fix it during regular service and it came back the same way. My M800's hydraulic steering used to get lighter and had self-centering on average speeds.

I got a long S-type curve on the way to my work place. I've mastered the art of leaving the steering wheel at an angle so that the car does the rest of taking me around the curve. Gets me a childish satisfaction of a Tesla Autopilot each time . Wife thinks I'm weird.

[AyushB]

Originally Posted by GTO

Guys, the fact is that drivers should not have to relearn anything when they drive a particular car. Self centering steering wheels are pretty much the standard behavior in all Indian cars. That's why it is dangerous. Because it does not behave as you would expect it to or are habituated to.

I also call it dangerous because of its behavior where it is vague at some speeds and too sensitive at some speeds.

In fact, I will go a step further and state that there is nothing about the steering wheel which I liked after my S-Presso drive.

This is one of the reasons why No one in my family wants to drive our Celerio. The car has done only 12,000 kms in 3 years and we are already planning to sell it. Never going for a budget Maruti car again.

[gusfring]

Originally Posted by viXit

This is dangerous and stupid. My maruti 800 which I drove just yesterday on some curvy back roads has self centering steering wheel.

This points to the fact that the steering is supposed to self centre because of the resistance the turned wheels face during a turn, because the 800 doesn't have either power steering or any fancy EPS.

Seconded. Have driven the M800 very extensively and the steering did return to the centre after U turns, etc at reasonable speeds. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have EPS, and it was quite a heavy steering too. Doesn't seem too dangerous, but this could actually turn out to be one if the person at the wheel is new to the car. Guess Maruti just wants their cars to just be barely legal to sell in India.

[Sridhar K]

Originally Posted by ynike99

This is a known issue in all pre-facelift Ignis cars. This issue is solved in facelifted cars, so Maruti knows the solution for sure.

Are you sure? The steering wheel of the 2020 Ignis facelift test drive vehicle that I test drove recently did not self centre and my wife was perplexed with its behaviour when taking a U-turn. Recently bought a used Celerio which had done 8.5 k kms in 3 years and even it's steering does not return to centre. Only saving grace is that it is slightly heavier which at least gives some sort of feedback. The earlier altos, swift, 2011 wagon R that I have driven did not have the problem

[greenhorn]

I have a feeling that this is driven by consumer focus groups. The fact that a light steering is a desirable factor seems to have been taken to the logical extreme. Anyway the average first time buyer who is the usual demographic for these cars may fall for it ( I can almost see the salesman showing this off as a feature)

[pu5han]

Until I read this thread I thought there was weird problem with our Alto800 (2015). I may have not noticed the re-centering problem as I was in college and did not get to drive our cars as extensively as the previous year. Few weeks back I noticed that the steering was incredibly stiff and the re-centering was amiss. Gave it to the A.S.S. as a service was pending anyway and they changed the rack. The stiffness has been mended but the steering non centering remains, and it sure is a headache while making turns. While inter-changing between our two vehicles (other being a Creta 2018), the difference is much more noticeable. Really spoils the driving experience in the Alto which I sincerely love.

[freakmuzik]

Our 2010 Wagon-R doesn't come with self-centering steering and as mentioned by all, it really feels weird many times and can be quite dangerous if not used to! I really don't remember my Eon having it too but I may be wrong. My Nano GenX has it and not just namesake, but it really self-centers excellently and the steering itself feels so much more precise than any of the low-end maruti cars I've driven.

[fhdowntheline]

Do you also realise that most driving schools (which usually deploy MSIL cars) also advocate manual return to centre by pulling and easing with either hand, without crossing hands. I have seen a lot of Learning drivers struggle with this during turns. This shouldn't have to be so if they had proper self-centering.

[IP_Man]

Self center ability of steering wheel is a basic requirement. In the past, after taking tight U-turn, my humble Maruti-800, non power steering, use to self center steering automatically then why not modern Maruti cars?

Steering must self center and vehicle must go in straight line if there is no steering input. Not full filling to this basic requirement, it will be very fatiguing to drive such vehicles that requires constant steering input to correct its direction.

Maruti must look into this concern immediately because such cars are dangerous on the road.