Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), the country's largest passenger car maker, has exhibited its 2013 WagonR facelift model. The development has alerted the company's rivals, such as Hyundai, General Motors and Tata Motors, to whom the WagonR model serves as a huge competition.
Maruti Suzuki's first hatchback with 'Tall Boy' design, the WagonR has also been one of its best selling models in the country. Accordingly, the model has outsold a number of vehicles in its direct competition in the Indian auto market. The prominent rivals of WagonR hatch include the likes of Hyundai Santro Xing, Chevrolet Spark and Tata Indica V2 Xeta in the domestic passenger car market.
The refurbished WagonR comes trimmed with a number of cosmetic modifications in its interior and exterior attributes. The front fascia has been redesigned and features new grille, headlamps and slightly bulky bumpers, as compared to the erstwhile model. The Chevy Spark and Santro Xing seem miles ahead of the present WagonR model in terms of exterior appearance, which poses pressure on Maruti Suzuki to make sure its hatchback is more visually compelling to the domestic car enthusiasts.
Coming to under-the-hood specifications of the revamped 2013 Maruti Suzuki WagonR, the hatch comes assimilated with a 1.0 litre, 3 cylinder KB10 K-Series petrol engine. This motor churns out a peak power of around 67 bhp, along with a maximum torque delivery of close to 90 Nm and comes mated with a five speed manual transmission system. The power and torque outputs of the 2013 WagonR facelift are kept same as compared to the erstwhile model, but the company has claimed that new engine will deliver superior performance and fuel efficiency.
General Motors India Private Limited (GMIPL), the country's fifth largest passenger car maker, has also revealed intentions to introduce its Chevrolet Spark facelift in the domestic market by the end of 2013. Hence, some fireworks are expected on the Indian turf soon, when the yet-to-be launched reworked Chevy Spark model enters into a stiff face off against the likes of 2013 Maruti Suzuki WagonR. The pricing of 2013 WagonR facelift version is expected to be at least 0.5 to 2 per cent dearer than that of the erstwhile model.
