Will be the third Maruti product to feature this technology.
Following the Celerio and the new Alto K10, the Maruti Wagon R Stingray will be the recipient of the carmaker's automated manual transmission (AMT) next, reports Autocar India. Sources have told the publication that in a bid to keep the car at a premium, only the more expensive Stingray variant will get the AMT system.
Integrating the Magneti Marelli supplied 5-speed AMT in the Wagon R will be a cinch for the country's largest carmaker as the Wagon R uses the same engine as the Celerio and Alto K10. The 1.0-liter three-cylinder K-Series unit produces 68 PS (67.04 bhp) and 90 Nm of torque, identical to the Celerio and new K10.
Compared to the regular Wagon R, the Stingray is a more stylish alternative as it gets projector headlights, a more aggressive front bumper, a new grille, alloy wheels and a clear lens treatment for the taillights. However, the Stingray variant has failed to capture the market owing to its price, which is a good INR 21,000 more than the regular Wagon R.
Also read: Maruti's first mini SUV starts testing
With an AMT system, the Stingray's price will no doubt increase, but it will also have its own identity as a spacious city car with the low-tech AMT box. The AMT's advantages of being fuel efficient and cheaper to buy indeed caught the fancy of the Indian car buyer. It remains to be seen if the Stingray can replicate the success of the Celerio AMT and K10 AMT.
[Source - Autocar India]
