Earlier this year, reports said that the next-gen Maruti Wagon R's launch will take place around November, but with the new Maruti Ciaz launched in August and the all-new Maruti Ertiga coming this November, we had our doubts. According to a new report from Autocar India, the launch will take place in early 2019, echoing a report from Team-BHP.
With the full model change, the Maruti Wagon R won’t switch to the Heartect platform which would make the car expensive. Maruti Suzuki will just update the old platform to meet more stringent safety norms.
The next-gen Maruti Wagon R is already undergoing road tests, and it has appeared in spy shots a few times. It looks nothing like the new JDM-spec model that debuted early last year. With an evolutionary design, it is still conventionally styled. Compared to the Kei car (with a 0.66L engine), it has a longer hood to accommodate the 1.0L engine that will likely send power to the wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed 'AGS' automated manual transmission.
An aspect the Maruti Wagon R needs to improve upon is the interior. With the lifecycle action, it should get a more appealing dashboard design as well as new equipment including a touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone integration capability and steering-mounted audio controls among others. On the safety front, expect all configurations to feature driver airbag, driver and co-driver SBR and speed alert system. Currently, only driver SBR is standard.
Also Read: Demand too low for Maruti Wagon R 7 seater MPV, says CV Raman
The 2019 Maruti Wagon R could have a starting price between INR 4.25 lakh* and INR 4.50 lakh*. Higher pricing is unlikely, as that would bring the car dangerously close to the more sophisticated Maruti Ignis (INR 4.67 lakh* onwards).
*Ex-showroom Delhi
[News source: autocarindia.com]
[Image Source: Financial Express]
