The second half of 2013 has been pretty eventful for the Indian car market because of numerous launches and the festive season. Since the month of July, many new models have entered India and several of them have performed well. There has been reasonable amount of activity as far as the hatchback segment is concerned. While Volkswagen launched some models, Hyundai has surpassed all expectations through the Grand i10 car. The South Korean auto maker has been in the limelight as its hatchback has got a terrific response from experts and customers. On the other hand, its fierce rival, Maruti Suzuki, has also been doing pretty well. While everyone is talking about Stingray and Alto 800, the WagonR model has got no attention despite being a consistent performer for a prolonged period.
For a long time now, WagonR has contributed majorly to sales of India's largest passenger car maker. Along with Alto 800 and Swift, this model has sustained itself in the market, irrespective of conditions, competitors and dynamics of the economy. In fact, it was being said that the launch of Stingray, a sporty version of WagonR, would reduce sales of the latter but nothing like this has happened. Ever since its launch, Maruti Suzuki WagonR has struck a chord with customers in India.
There are several reasons behind the success of this hatchback in the Indian market. In the first place, the timing of its launch was ideal as the country's industry was in a growing phase and price was a huge factor. Due to its entire package and aggressive pricing, WagonR got a tremendous response throughout India. Many experts believe that comfort levels of this car have been instrumental in driving its success in India. Apart from being comfortable, WagonR is fuel-efficient, which adds on to its viability.
WagonR comes with a sporty look that is provided by the sloping roof, which also adds to its dynamism. The prominent wheel arches ensure a stable stance while chrome grille with blue tinted headlamps, sweeping graphics, chrome engraved silver celebration plate and V character add to the overall appearance of this hatchbacks. Maruti Suzuki has designed interiors of this car in a stylish manner by providing clean flowing lines, elegant sliver accents and amber lighting. Features that add to convenience of passengers are panoramic view, integrated stereo supporting USB and Aux-in, and dual-tone interiors (beige and black). Comfort features of this car include adjustable tilt steering, electrical ORVM, wide opening doors, front passenger under seat tray and foldable grip assist.
As far as mechanical configuration is concerned, this model comes fitted with an all-aluminium lightweight K10B four-cylinder engine mated to 5-speed manual gearbox. This powertrain enables Maruti Suzuki WagonR to deliver maximum output of around 66 bhp and top torque of 90 Nm.
However, there are a few key points that need to be mentioned regarding WagonR. Although this model remains to be a top performer for Maruti Suzuki, its sales have gone down as compared to figures of past years. Many experts feel that the rising cost of petrol and number of competitors have been important in influencing its sales. In order to regain the level of sales, sources claim that Maruti Suzuki is looking at introducing a diesel version of this hatchback.
