New WagonR launched; Prices, Specifications, details and exclusive pictures

Maruti launched the Second Generation WagonR for India (It is the fourth generation globally) today at a  special ceremony in New Delhi today. This time around, it is not a facelift, but far from it. The new WagonR launched today is based on an all new chassis that features tech like tailor welded blanks and separate sub-frame for the engine and suspension. The new WagonR is also more spacious, powerful and refined but looks a lot like the outgoing version.  Available in three trim levels – Lx, Lxi, Vxi, the prices for which are Rs 3,28,000, Rs 3,58,000 and Rs 3,81,000 respectively, Ex-Showroom Delhi.

We will start our detailed analysis of the new WagonR starting with the Styling. While the WagonR was never a appealing car, it isn’t what you would call ugly either. It has become something regular that you don’t care whether it looks good or not. You are more bothered about the way it serves you. The new WagonR, in our opinion could have sported the nose of the JDM WagonR or even the JDM Stingray version but sadly we dont get them for no reason we can think of. We do understand that this car has a longer front end to accommodate the larger engine but come on Maruti, it could have just been an extension of the nose retaining the JDM front-end. The rear also is nothing to write home about – It resembles the older version with only a chrome finisher for the number plate as the distinguishing feature.

Wheelosphere did exclusive coverage of the new WagonR by scooping a spy picture way back in December 2009. We continued it by briefly covering the history of the model and finally revealing the features with more spy pictures last week. Now, we are the only blog to bring you exclusive hi-res images. Hit the jump to see them all. 

We tried speccing the car with Sports body kits (on their website – http://www.marutiwagonr.com/) and other accessories and the result is for you to see. This is clearly not a car for those who would like to show off. Even the Spark and the Estilo are much better looking in our opinion. The headlamps with the blue city lights are a nice touch though. The new WagonR is available in eight colours – Metallic Breeze Blue, Superior White, Midnight Black, Baker’s Chocolate, Breeze Blue, Fire Brick Red, Silky Silver, and Glistening Grey. The only colour that is new is the brown shade which is the one on the Estilo.

 

  

 

 

 

 

The Chassis is all new and sports a separate sub-frame that carries the engine and mounts for the suspension. The front under arms are L-shaped sport three links to the earlier model’s two links. This setup enables better tuning of the suspension and the new WagonR will be noticeably stable and comfortable than the outgoing model. The longer class-leading wheelbase – 2,400mm should provide it with good high speed stability too. It is 3,595mm long now (a whopping 75mm increase) but sadly, all the space has been occupied by the longer engine bay with the boot space shrunk by 48 litres to 170litres! The rear legroom has been improved by a fair amount and this is one good point but the width of 1,495mm means that three passengers at the rear is still a squeeze.

One of the strong points of the new car is the new powertrain. The 998cc K-Series K10B engine is one of best engines sub-1000cc and is mated to an all new 5-speed gearbox that is now cable operated. The official ARAI quoted economy is 18.9km/l, a mere 0.7km/l away from the class leading A-Star that also sports the same engine. With 68ps @ 6200rpm and 90Nm of torque at 3500rpm, the new WagonR will be very swift. What’s more, the new tall boy is also BS4 compliant and the vehicle itself is ELV and E10 compliant. Maruti Suzuki is steadily moving towards the goal of making its full range of vehicles environment friendly, much ahead of the norms being adopting in the country.

On the occasion, Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “The all-new WagonR carries forward the decade-long leadership and success of the WagonR brand. The new WagonR is a full-model change in terms of superior technology, interiors, looks and styling. The new, larger platform brings in comfort and space while the superior technology of K-series engine delivers more power, greater fuel efficiency and is environment friendly. We are confident that the new WagonR will further strengthen the leadership position of Maruti Suzuki in the A2 segment.”

According to a honcho of Maruti Suzuki, “The tall boy design and best-in-class adjustable front seats are especially convenient for tall people. With a large wheel base that leads to best-in-class leg space at the rear, the new WagonR seats five people in great comfort with ample leg room and shoulder room. Alongside, the larger doors with wide opening make entry and exit easy, while optimised cushion depth and width on the rear seats increase seating comfort. Wide windscreen ensures uninterrupted panoramic view and adds to the light-filled-spacious-cabin-feel. All this clubbed with the gigantic boot space makes the new WagonR a perfect smart-family vehicle. While the rear parcel tray improves storage and keeps the users’ valuables hidden from prying eyes, a smart integrated tool box in the boot leads to the overall charm.”

The Interiors are all new as well. They feature a slab like design with a silver central ridge and dual trim colours on the top model. The integrated stereo is very neat and so is the instrument console. The orange halo in the speedometer is cool while the blank space next to the speedo looked odd. The cell phone signal like fuel indicator looks neat too. Thankfully, the new WagonR sports a speaker slot in each of the doors. The seats are covered by blue fabric. There is a neat touch though – there is a tray under the passenger’s seat that can be removed and used for daily shopping and then placed back.

Occupant safety has taken a major step forward. The new shell is definitely more rigid than the older model with increased frontal impact absorbing area, thanks to greater distance between steering wheel and front bumper, keep the passengers safe. The  Vxi also has the option of Airbags, ABS, rear wiper, defogger and dual horn. A driver-side seat belt indicator is on the dash panel a standard feature on Lxi and Vxi variants. The new WagonR keys are integrated with i-CATS, 4-door central locking and anti-theft alarm system.

With so many features, an all new design, engine, higher fuel economy, the new WagonR on paper atleast looks to be a very good proposition. We cannot comment on the ride, handling, real world fuel economy, performance, quality etc till we get our hands on the car but then, as a practical car, there are very few others that can get the job done so well. With Maruti’s reliability and excellent service, the new WagonR has all it takes to reclaim the No.2 seller position it lost to the i10 couple of months ago.