WagonR was first launched by Suzuki Motor in Japan in 1993. It soon became a best-seller in the country. Suzuki has produced more than 3 million units of the car. The name “R” was supposed to mean recreation. It has an interesting design. It is unusually tall with a short hood. It has a nearly vertical hatchback. This design maximizes the cabin space.
The first generation WagonR was 1,640mm tall. It was 255mm taller compared to the Alto sold at the time in Japan. It’s interesting since WagonR and Alto were the same length and width. Suzuki launched the second generation WagonR in 1998. Subsequently, the WagonR + was launched in 1999. The WagonR + was also introduced to the European markets in 2000. It was manufactured in Hungary and India.
Suzuki, in association with its partner Maruti, launched WagonR in India. This was redone to give it a better look. WagonR has been very successful in India. It is currently one of Maruti Suzuki’s best-selling models.
Interestingly, despite being among the oldest box-styled cars, the WagonR came late to India and the car was preceded by Hyundai’s box-styled Santro. In the Indian car market, WagonR is sold in 3 variants. The LX version has no power steering, while the LXi comes with power steering and the VXi has all the features that the car offers. The car is also available with automatic transmission in India.
When WagonR was first launched on the Indian market, its unusual appearance did not appeal to Indians. But soon, the car had its own fanatic, especially among young professionals. The car is now appreciated for its very unusual design and economy.
With competition on the rise in the Indian car market, Maruti Suzuki is trying to maintain its leadership by launching new versions of its cars. Recently the company has launched the new version of its small Zen car, renamed the Estillo. The company is expected to launch a new version of the Maruti WagonR soon as it has to comply with the strict emissions rules that are scheduled to go into effect in India in April 2010.
