A video has surfaced online of the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Wagon R in the top-spec ZXi trim. The hatchback has been spotted at a dealer stockyard sporting Maruti’s Auto Gear Shift AMT gearbox. The car seen in the video features Maruti Suzuki’s 7.0-inch SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system and electrically operated ORVMs with integrated turn signals, which indicates it is the top-spec ZXi trim.
As reported by us earlier, the new Wagon R will retain the current model’s 68hp, 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine (K10B) and offer a new 83hp, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine (K12M) taken from the brand’s larger Swift and Ignis hatchbacks. Both engines will have the option of a 5-speed manual and AMT gearbox. A CNG variant will also be offered, but only with the K10B motor.
Standard safety equipment on the new Wagon R includes a driver-side airbag, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, a speed alert system and a seatbelt reminder for the driver and passenger. Additionally, a passenger-side airbag will be an optional extra on the LXi and VXi variants and standard on the top-spec ZXi variants. The Wagon R ZXi will also come equipped with Maruti Suzuki’s 7.0-inch SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, while the mid-spec VXi trim will get a 2-DIN audio system with Bluetooth connectivity.
The new Wagon R also gets a re-shuffled variant line-up. The previous car’s top-spec VXi+ trim is being replaced by a new ZXi trim. The 1.0-litre engine will be offered only on the lower LXi and VXi trims, while the larger 1.2-litre motor will be available on mid-spec VXi and top-spec ZXi trim. The AMT gearbox will be offered with both engines, but only on the higher VXi trim and ZXi trims. In comparison, the Wagon R’s chief rivals like the Hyundai Santro AMT and Tata Tiago AMT are not available in their top-spec trims.
The new-gen Maruti Suzuki Wagon R will be launched on January 23, 2019. Pricing for the hatchback is expected to start around Rs 4.5 lakh for the base LXi variant and go up to Rs 6.5 lakh (ex-showroom) for the ZXi AMT variant. As with its predecessor, the new Wagon R will compete against the Hyundai Santro, the Tata Tiago, the Datsun Go and Maruti Suzuki’s own Celerio.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Glenn Noronha
Dhruv Dhaka
