In spite of a significant number of new car manufacturers entering India since the late 1990’s and an influx of a huge number of car models being available to the Indian consumer, there is one brand and company that is still going strong. Yes, I am referring to none other than the Maruti Suzuki. And now to keep up the record sales of its 2nd bestselling car, Maruti has released the all new looking. WagonR.
The main reasons for refurbishing the existing WagonR are as follows. The first problem was that the existing 1061cc four cylinder Engine would not have complied with the new BS IV (Bharat Stage 4) emission norms that were enforced on April 1st 2010. Secondly the Old WagonR looks were definitely starting to get outdated with all the new entrants that have barged the market from the other car manufacturers such as the Chevrolet Beat, Figo, Hyundai’ i10 and Santro etc. Thirdly, it was time Maruti upgraded the existing Engine for it has already developed the K series engines for its other models such as the Ritz, A star and the Swift. Thus Maruti has now given a fresh impetus to the aging WagonR by changing it in almost every aspect.
The New WagonR
Engine:
Maruti has released the New WagonR with a 998cc, lightweight 3 cylinder engine. This new engine complies with the newly effective Bharat Sage IV norms and belongs to the K10B (K series) engine family. The K series engine is already reliable as it proves to be very efficient, and noiseless. The A star already has a similar type of an engine. The engine also delivers a healthy 68 Bhp power that is good enough to jump the road. Thus there is no doubt that the new K series engine for the WagonR would be a significant change in terms of performance and excellence. Being the largest selling vehicle after Maruti Alto, Suzuki India wants to keep the lion share by achieving a fuel efficiency of a staggering fuel efficiency of 18.9 Kmpl.
Looks and other additional features:
Introducing the new Wagon R with a completely sporty look, Maruti clearly wants to shed off the Old school image of the previous Wagon R. The new roof lines and headlights and a streamlined finish gives a more athletic and a sporty feel to the new Wagon R. Though borrowing heavily from the Suzuki’s Japanese model, the New Wagon R guarantees a unique look and definitely removes the previous boxy appearance. Maruti refers the New Wagon R with its striking tagline: the Blue eyed boy, owing to a blue tint that comes in the headlights of the Wagon R.
Why must one buy the New Wagon R?
There are strong reasons to buy the new Wagon R as it guarantees special attractions on all its variants. With tubeless tyres, blue tint headlights , roof rails, push type cup holders and the all new intelligent computerised anti theft system(i-CATS) in all its variants, the Wagon R is quite a comprehensive package. In addition , the all new excellent K series engine’s mileage coupled with the improved looks and the extremely good value for money are all strong reasons to buy the New Wagon R. It remains to be seen as to how the other competitors respond to the Wagon R’s challenge.
