Maruti Wagon R Facelift : The familiar silhouette was unmistakable as it turned the corner approaching Maruti Suzuki’s Gurugram facility, but not quite the same.
Unlike the strategic cladding covering key panels, there was no hiding the bold lines, sharper-sleeker lighting elements and a, richer, more upmarket stance which is most certainly the “tall boy” that India will love – the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R.
Having followed up on numerous test mules spotted testing across Delhi-NCR over the last month and after speaking to dealer sources who’ve been given the inside scoop on the new model I can reveal a lot about the Wagon R facelift which is expected in showrooms before the end of the quarter.
The new iteration seems aimed at answering the single complaint frequently leveled at this pragmatic favorite: that it looks and feels somewhat utilitarian.
Maruti Wagon R Facelift The Premium Exterior Upgrade
The Wagon R’s design has always been fairly boxy, and highly functional over form—that formula has, after all, helped it be a permanent fixture among India’s top-selling cars for over two decades.
Now preparing for a facelift, it appears Maruti is keen to maintain its practical design, while injecting a good bit of visual drama.
“They’re not tampering with the basic DNA,” said Rajiv Kumar, a South Delhi Maruti dealer who has perused some first-run marketing material.
“The tall boy design remains, but we have really worked on the details to become more premium and more contemporary.
The most visible changes can be seen upfront, where an all-new fascia features a larger and more refined grille design with intricate honeycomb patterns replacing the simplistic horizontal slats of the outgoing model.
(Chrome accents, on higher trims, add visual richness that the current car is missing.)
Headlamps get a major update, now coming with projector units on most variants and even LED DRLs on the top trims; a first for the Wagon R and a sure sign of its upmarket aspirations.
Up front the bumper has been re-sculpted with much accentuated character lines with bigger fog lamp housings with chrome surrounds on higher-level trims.
On the side profile, new 15-inch (for the higher grades) or 14-inch (on mid trims) alloy wheels take the place of the rather plain ones seen on the current version.
Blacked-out A and B-pillars also create a nice floating roof effect that gives the boxy SUV a more modern look.
“The profile is where the Wagon R has been most aspirational for most people, and a lot of the surface changes here are less obvious,” said Vikram Singh, an automotive designer who used to work with Maruti and whom I consulted for context.
“But with the new wheels and the blackened pillars, it actually makes a surprising difference in the overall impact.
At the back, probably the biggest change is at the rear with fresh new connected LED tail lamps that span the tailgate, a feature commonly found in more premium cars.
The redesigned rear bumper treated to more character and reflector elements that further enhance the visual width and sophistication.
While on an early morning stakeout outside Maruti’s R&D centre, I clocked a test mule finished in a new shade called Azure Blue—part of a new extended palette that’ll add at least a couple of new premium metallic finishes when the car’s facelift arrives.
Maruti Wagon R Facelift Inside: The True Premium Revolution
While the outside morphs evolutionarily, the inside is revolutionised. According to insiders who have had sightings through test vehicle windows, the cabin is being treated to extensive makeovers in terms of materials, design and technology.
The most immediate change is a new dash design that ditches the bog-basic layout of the current car for something a little more modern with a horizontal focus, along with a floating touchscreen infotainment system (7-inch on lesser models, 9-inch on higher specs) sitting front and centre where everyone can see it.
“It is on the inside that customers will perceive the change,” agreed a component supplier associated with the project, though he asked not to be named.
“There’s a deliberate focus on enhancing perceived quality with better materials and more sophisticated design.
The upper dashboard and door panels – where the current model has hard plastics – now feature soft-touch materials.
The instrument cluster is hybrid-analogic on dials and a larger MID while ambient lighting (on higher grades) does add a class-up factor not seen in its class before.
Steering wheel is new too, and now looks similar to the units found in newer Maruti cars like the Baleno and Fronx, with better control placement and more tactile materials.
The climate control system gets a big boost with the presence of automatic temperature control on the higher variants which is a first in the Wagon R.
“The impressive part is how they’ve brought the cabin up to feel high end in such a cost-constrained environment,” said an interior trim supplier who has worked on new model’s components.
There is clever use of materials and finishes to cut a slightly more upmarket ambience without adding significantly to cost.”
Thanks to the new layout, the comfy headroom and fantastic view out continues, and is now complemented by the better cushioning, support and upholstery patterns of the new Wagon R.
Speaking at a component exhibition in Delhi, a seating supplier revealed, “Special attention was given to increasing comfort on long journeys, while keeping the customers’ ease of getting in and out which Wagon R customers appreciate.”
Maruti Wagon R Facelift Technology: Elevating the Basics to Luxury Levels
But the existing Wagon R is a little behind its rivals in the tech department, a situation the facelift seems keen to remedy.
Enhanced infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is now available across most models, with a more responsive interface and better graphics.
Expect to find a 360-degree camera system on the range-topping model – an unheard of premium feature in the C segment which will no doubt be useful for when it’s time to slink in between those tight city spaces.
Automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers, considered premium items on far more expensive cars, are also added to the equipment list in the higher models.
The Wagon R gets connected car technology for the first time so you can track or control many of its functions using a smartphone app from a distance.
“It’s not as functional as a more expensive Maruti’s infotainment,” explained a software engineer who worked on the project, “but it includes the features that felt most relevant to its user base: remote locking and unlocking, location tracking, service reminders, driving statistics.”
Safety kit is significantly enhanced, too, with the car now getting six airbags on higher trims (up from dual airbags currently), electronic stability control, hill-hold assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
This is an area where the current model has been criticized versus newer rivals and these updates take care of that.
Powertrains: More Cleaned Than Clear Redesigned is too strong a word for most of the Camry’s powertrains
Powering the new Wagon R, the facelift will retain the current 1.0-litre K10C and 1.2-litre K12N engines but they will receive calibration changes for better response and fuel efficiency.
The CNG variant, which has gained popularity with fuel prices on the rise, is still offered with the 1.0-liter powertrain.
“The emphasis has been on making the driving experience better, not on bigger numbers at the top end,” said a powertrain engineer who has worked on calibrating the updated engines.
“There’s additional and better low-end torque delivery for city driving, and the refinement levels have been improved with an improved NVH package.”
Gearbox choices continue to be a 5-speed manual and AGS (Auto Gear Shift) automated manual; the latter is said to benefit from software upgraded for improved shift quality and low-speed drivability – which has been one of the few gripes about the current system.
Having had a quick glance on Faridabad roads at this test mule, the exhaust note seemed to resonate significantly muted compared to the present iteration – hinting towards an enhanced noise insulation as a part of the premium upgrade package.
Maruti Wagon R Facelift Price and Positioning in the Market
With all of these premium upgrades, pricing is the exemption that could break in OnLeaks’ favor. Maruti is targeting a “nominal pricing increase” for the car despite substantial improvements, said dealer sources familiar with the launch plans.
Prices for the facelift are likely to begin at 5.75 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base model and go up to around 9.45 lakh for the range-topping ZXi+ AGS trim — an increase of 15,000-30,000, based on the trim level.
“The plan is a simple one, bring on more premium features and design elements but keep the value offering angle that has worked wonders for the Wagon R,” said an automotive analyst I spoke to get some perspective.
“This would place it at a higher level without attempting to enter a market segment where it would be the same price and would compete with different competitors.”
Maruti Wagon R Facelift Introduction Schedule and Impact on the Market
A couple of sources tell us that dealer training for Infiniti Planned last month, dealer training for the new model is reportedly scheduled to start next month with plans to put the car on the market within the following 4-6 weeks.
First production models have already begun rolling out the line at Maruti’s facility in Gujarat, the manufacturing sources said.
ANything that happens to the Wagon R is some serious market talk, considering that it’s selling more than 24000 units/month on avg.
The premium updates seem aimed at keeping pace with shifting consumer tastes, while retaining the down-to-earth virtues that have made it one of America’s best-selling vehicles.
The Wagon R customer has always been a no-nonsense one — one who has always looked at space, efficiency and reliability rather than flash,” Kumar at the dealership said.
“But consumer’s needs are pacing across all categories. People still want those core features, but today’s pragmatic buyer’s appetite for modern design and features also is increasing.”
If indeed Maruti has got the mix right between premium add-ons and practical virtues, the Wagon R facelift would help bolster its position in a fiercely competitive segment were newer players have upped the ante in terms of design and feature set.
With that, I wrap up my chat with Kumar and he offers up an observation that, very likely, sums up Maruti’s intentions with this update the best: “They’re not trying to make the Wagon R something it’s not.
They just do it to make it the nicest, most luxurious version of what it has always been — India’s pragmatic family car.”
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