Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) launched a facelifted version of its coveted hatchback, WagonR, in January 2013, which has been well appreciated by the domestic buyers. A buzz about the new model had been created through media campaigns, which could have been a reason for 14,981 units of the WagonR being sold during the month. In comparison to a sales figure of 4,316 units in December 2012, this figure is phenomenally high, but only marginally higher than average sales of 12,000 since the past six months. The reason for this jump is that MSIL had cut short the supply of its previous model in anticipation of the new model.
The new WagonR has been given a new front look, which is in line of MSIL, making the front grilles of its vehicles larger and more aggressive than the previous models. Two new colour choices, Passion Red and Ecru Beige have been included in the existing colour scheme of this model. On the interior front, a black and beige theme gives a felling of greater space. An additional storage compartment in the dashboard has been built, which can store bottles.
WagonR also gets an On-board Diagnostics Setup (OBD-II), which informs the driver of anything being wrong with the car. By using synthetic transmission oil and lowering friction, MSIL has been able to increase the fuel efficiency to 20.51 kmpl, as per Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
Every year, price hikes take place in the month of January as dealers make an attempt to increase profits. December sales are usually slow, buoyed only by manufacturers offering heavy discounts. New variants are also often launched in the month of January, for which there are many new buyers every year. The new Alto 800 continues to lead the pack, by selling 28,685 units, which are 2,400 units more than the number for December 2012.
Overall, the sales of MSIL, including exports, have gone down as compared to the previous year. 1,14,205 units were sold in January 2013, as compared to 1,15,433 units in the same year-ago period, marking a decline of 1.1 per cent. Apart from the Alto, the Swift DZire and the Swift hatchback did better than the WagonR with 17,060 and 18,929 units, respectively.
