Maruti Suzuki WagonR is one of the most popular vehicles in India. It was the number one selling car in the first four months of this financial year and continues to hold on to the runner-up position in the latter three months. WagonR has faced many worthy rivals and pretenders, but it continues to be the hatchback to beat. So what makes it such a success story? That’s what we are going to find out. Before we get into that here’s trivia. In late 2000 and early 2001, Maruti Suzuki used to call the WagonR a Multi Activity Vehicle or MAV due to its versatile nature.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR: Spacious Cabin
The WagonR has always been a spacious car due to its length and tall and squarish roofline, but the width was limited. The current generation, which was launched in 2019, is wider than the previous model and can easily accommodate three adults at the rear bench comfortably thanks to the much-needed improved shoulder space. Apart from that, the hatchback continues to offer the best headroom as over 6 feet in height passengers can easily sit in the cabin and there are zero compromises on ingress and egress as one can easily enter or exit the car.
Apart from a roomy cabin, the WagonR also offers a spacious boot space. With a capacity of 341 litres and a wide loading bay, a lot of luggage can easily be stacked up due to its depth. To increase the space, the rear seats split 60:40 barring the entry-level trim.
Watch Video | What makes the Maruti Suzuki WagonR a best-seller?
Maruti Suzuki WagonR: A powertrain for everyone
The WagonR is available in two engine options — 1.2-litre which churns out 88.5 bhp and 113Nm and 1 litre with an output of 65.7bhp and 89Nm. It is also available in CNG with a power output of 56bhp and 82.1Nm.
The 1.2-litre is a refined engine and is quite lively from the word go. It offers plenty of power at low and mid-range power bands, which makes commuting a breeze. Even if one needs to overtake on the go, it has plenty of pulling power. It is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-step AMT. The 1.2-litre engine feels like a Duracell bunny always raring to go. It is also a fuel-efficient motor and according to Maruti Suzuki, it returns 23-24 kmpl. We drove the AMT version for over a week and it returned a shade below 20 kmpl, which is quite impressive.
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The 1-litre engine is more of a workhorse and ensures to offer an effortless driving experience with a strict eye on mileage. The manufacturer claims that it has a fuel economy of 24-25 kmpl.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR: Features
The WagonR sports a 7-inch infotainment system, which has a decent haptic response and a user-friendly touch screen. It comes equipped with the usual suspects like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity and gets Suzuki Connect app. For convenience, it also comes with steering-mounted buttons to control the multimedia system, and answer incoming calls and voice control commands.
When it comes to safety, the WagonR comes packed with features like dual airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution System (EBD), and rear parking sensors and the AMT version or as Maruti calls it AGS, comes with standard with Hill Hold Assist.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR: Tallboy design
The WagonR has been all about practicality, hence, it was never designed to win any beauty pageant. One can’t also discount the fact that in the last two decades, the hatchback’s tallboy design has evolved and now it doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb.
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Even though it continues to retain its squarish design, it doesn’t have sharp edges as the bonnet is more rounded and shorter in length. With the new dual-tone colour combination, the hatchback is a lot more pleasing to the eyes with a black-coloured roof, pillars and outside rearview mirrors. It also sports 14-inch black alloy wheels.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR: Value for money
The dual-tone trim costs Rs 7.08 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, and comes fully loaded with all the features. Otherwise, the standard 1.2-litre manual starts from Rs 6.10 lakh and the AMT from Rs 6.58 lakh. The 1-litre stick transmission starts at Rs 5.47 lakh while the AMT begins at Rs 6.41 lakh, all ex-showroom Delhi.
If you’re in the market for a spacious, fuel-efficient, reliable and affordable hatchback which is backed by the country’s widest network, you really can’t look further than the WagonR. This is the reason why it is still a best seller in the Indian market.
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