Maruti Suzuki WagonR Facelift- What to Expect » MotorOctane

Historically, the Wagon R has been one of the best-selling cars in India. Its tall stature provides a roomy interior and a practical cabin, which are deeply appreciated by the Indian public. In the age of compact SUVs, the Wagon R continues to achieve impressive sales figures. Despite such sales, it is due for an update. The current generation got a minor update in 2022, and now Maruti Suzuki has plans to give the Wagon R a makeover. Here is all the information you need about the upcoming facelift.

Updated looks

Interestingly, Suzuki has recently unveiled a concept car. The Vision e-sky resembles the iconic tall-boy posture of the Wagon R. The concept features a completely redesigned front end with box-shaped LED headlights. The orthodox vertical taillamps have been substituted for C-shaped ones.

The boxy theme is carried throughout the exterior. The side profile looks identical to the outgoing Maruti Wagon R. It is yet to be confirmed by Maruti Suzuki that the upcoming Wagon R is based on the vision e-sky, but the similarities are uncanny. Given the concept’s compliance with KEI regulations, it is highly likely that the production version will be longer for the Indian market.

Read more: All New Maruti Wagon R Revealed With New Design?

The upcoming model will undergo a notable aesthetic makeover. However, the tall boy stature will remain unchanged across all upcoming WagonRs, since it is one of its biggest selling points.

Updated Interiors

For the outgoing version, the lower variants miss out on vital features such as rear power windows, remote central locking and adjustable rear headrests. The rear defogger has recently been removed from the top variant, ZXi+. None of the models include a Parking Camera as standard; it must be added through an accessory package at an extra cost.

Maruti Suzuki would decide to add some of the above-mentioned features in its lower models and provide customers with more features as standard. The cabin will be as practical as ever, with sufficient headroom and legroom for rear passengers.

Powertrain

The Vision e-sky will be introduced in Japanese markets solely as an EV. Maruti Suzuki releasing the next-generation WagonR as an electric vehicle seems far-fetched for now. However, reports suggest that they have other plans for the upcoming WagonR.

Maruti Suzuki has shown its continued commitment to sustainable alternatives, with the strong-hybrid Invicto, Victoris and Grand Vitara. They have used smart-hybrid systems in many of their older cars, such as the Ciaz, XL6, and Ertiga. However, Maruti is yet to adopt the hybrid technology in its hatchback lineup. The Wagon R could be one of the first hatchbacks to come with a strong hybrid system.

The Maruti Suzuki-Toyota partnership enabled Maruti to adopt the Toyota Hybrid system for the Invicto and Grand Vitara. Unfortunately, using the same system for Wagon R seemed unviable. Thus, Maruti has decided to develop its own economical series-hybrid system. There is one key difference that sets a series-hybrid system apart from the conventional series-parallel system used in the Grand Vitara, Victoris. A series-hybrid platform uses the combustion engine to power the electric motor, rather than the other way around, as in series-parallel systems. This system will be first displayed on the Fronx, followed by an elaborate upcoming hybrid lineup.

The hybrid technology will be paired with an identical 1.2L petrol engine, and CNG variants will also be offered. The outgoing WagonR is available with a 5-speed AMT and a 5-speed manual transmission, and the future WagonR would offer a similar range.

Competiton

The hatchback segment is fiercely competitive, with manufacturers aiming to keep prices as low as possible to draw customers away from their rivals. Some of the rivals include the Tata Punch, Tata Tiago, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, and Renault Kwid. The WagonR also competes with some of its siblings, including the S-Presso, Alto K10, and Celerio.

A glaring shortcoming of the Wagon R is the poor build quality, and the NCAP ratings further demonstrate the issue. It scored an abysmal 2 stars, whilst cars like the Tiago scored 4 stars and the Punch scored 5 stars. To tackle this issue, Maruti now equips the WagonR with 6 airbags as standard, demonstrating their dedication to raising their safety standards.

Read more: Maruti Wagon R 2019 gets 2 stars in Global NCAP crash test

Expected Launch and Price

Rumours suggest that Maruti Suzuki will soon unveil the WagonR Flex Fuel, which can run on ethanol-petrol mixtures. This would push the upcoming WagonR facelift away by a short period of time. You can expect the launch of the refreshed WagonR by late 2026.

Maruti will maintain the aggressive pricing strategies with the updated model. A price increase is to be expected, but it won’t be significant enough to deter potential buyers. A hike of more than 75,000 rupees seems unrealistic.