Today seems to be an auspicious day for Maruti Suzuki. The car maker has just unveiled the all-new WagonR, ‘The Blue-Eyed Boy’ in India. The car had already arrived in dealerships across India and finally we have news of the vehicle’s launch. The new WagonR has undergone design changes on its exteriors. The facelift has given the WagonR a new headlamp cluster, a new smiling grille and fresh front bumpers. On the inside, the macho version of the car sports an all-new dashboard design and enhanced plastic quality.Maruti has invested Rs 290 Crore on the enhancement of the WagonR. The new model has made its entry with a 1.0-litre K-Series engine that can churn out 60 bhp of power. The new 998cc three-cylinder K10B engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The performance is amazing with a mileage of 18 kmpl. The new WagonR will have Bharat Stage IV emission norms and will be produced from the company's Gurgaon facility. The engine is packed with 67 bhp and a maximum torque of 90 Nm. The cable type transmission and new frame type suspension offer great stability on all terrains. The NVH levels are also enhanced. Maruti has reworked the front suspension to ensure the car handling gets better.
WagonR has forever been one of the highest-selling models for Maruti Suzuki. In March 2010 the sales numbers for the existing Wagon R were a few units above 11,000. Since its launch the WagonR has found 8.8 lakh homes in India and 55,00,000 worldwide. The WagonR was first introduced in India in 2001 and took some time to find favour among buyers due to its non-conventional design for that time. At that time, the car was powered by a 1061cc engine producing 64bhp. In 2006 Maruti gave the car a facelift including a new nose job.
Are you wondering about the new WagonR’s price? Maruti has done a good job by pricing the new WagonR at Rs 3.28 Lakh for the LX variant. The LXi variant would cost Rs 3.57 lakhs; VXi would cost Rs 3.81 lakhs and the VXi version with ABS plus Airbags would cost Rs 4.12 lakhs. The design, as we can all see, is bold and aggressive. The new version is more muscular compared to its predecessor. The V-character line accentuates the WagonR’s character. The bigger and sweeping headlamps with the blue tint look like a pair of sparkling eyes. The wider bumpers stretching to the corners only add to the athletic appearance of the car.
The new WagonR, with a more modern and curvier look, has a sloping roof and blazing fenders. The bigger and wider wheels and upright rear character makes sure the macho one gets a second look. The large doors help you enter and leave the car with ease. Then, there is the chrome accentuation in front and the back with the WagonR brand engraved in chrome in the rear. The new car sure has improved rear visibility.
Coming to the dual-tone interiors of the new car, it has 3-D fabric seats with 60:40 split rear seats. You can find silver accentuation all around. The new tilt steering wheel, ergonomic gear knob and the new speedometer design take care of the driver’s comfort. The new WagonR comes with an integrated audio with AUX-in and 6-band graphic equalizer for ultimate entertainment on the drive. The full-trim interiors including A, B and C pillar trims create an excellent ambience.
All in all, this WagonR is a spacious package. It has the best-in-class wheel base of 2400mm which is over 40 mm more than the original WagonR. The legroom too is best in the segment with distance of 100 mm more than its predecessor. The 240mm front seats welcome even tall users to have a seat. The headroom is great.
Let’s go to the utilitarian add-ons in the new WagonR. It has push-type cup holders with a utility hook and a sturdy, deeper glove box with an integrated shelf, a rear parcel tray and an integrated tool box. The utility basket under the co-driver’s seat sends a message loud and clear ‘while I am here, do not throw waste out of the car’. Environment care must say. There is a front door map pocket and soft inserts on the floor console to safeguard the cell-phone camera unit.
The mirror, an electrical outside rear view mirror (ORVM) offers great visibility. Power windows, keyless entry, foldable assist-grips and the new HVAC unit providing a temperature reduction of four degrees than the existing model; the WagonR comes loaded with all these features. Safety features are crowded in the all-new WagonR. In the high-end variant, ABS & dual airbags, rear defogger, wiper & washer, driver seat belt indicator and the i-CATS security system take care of driver and passenger safety.
The cosmetic surgery that the car has received, takes the earlier design one level higher into the upmarket urban car territory. We'll have to wait and watch if it is able to beat more established contenders like the Chevrolet Beat and the Hyundai i10.
Labels: Car-Launch, Chevrolet-Beat, Hyundai-i10, New-Car, New-Car-Launch, New-WagonR, WagonR, WagonR-Launch
