The Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is one of the most favourable choices for family car buyers looking for interior space, frugality and decent tech that has made the hatchback a steady performer for the company ever since its launch in 1999. The last update on the Wagon R was in the form of the Stingray variant and in order to keep the model fresh, Maruti Suzuki will be updating the Wagon R with a facelift, spy shots of which were caught recently.
Much like the Stingray variant, the 2015 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R facelift comes from Japan. The current model has been on sale in the country since 2012. The changes are quite extensive on the Wagon R facelift which gets new dew shaped headlight cluster and chrome induced front grille with horizontal slats. The bumper has been completely changed and now features a wide trapezoidal air-dam, but misses out on fog lamps, which is likely to make it to the top spec variant.
The side profile remains largely the same with the massive glass house area but the A-pillar seems to have been tweaked. The rear though features LED tail lamps that is a welcome change, but the tail gate is rather old school compared to the current version. We also noticed the ‘idling stop’ moniker at the rear, which could possibly mean that Suzuki is introducing micro hybrid technology on the facelift model that switches off the engine on idling, and will restart with a little pat on the clutch; thus improving the fuel economy of the car (a first in the segment).
On the inside, the 2015 Maruti Wagon R gets a dual-tone beige and black dashboard, while the centre console has been reworked upon. Maruti could be sharing parts from its other models for the Wagon R facelift. The version spied was also missing roof rails. We do expect the vehicle to sport further changes before it’s launched. In terms of powertrain, the 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, K-Series motor will continue to power the 2015 Wagon R facelift and is expected to get an AMT gearbox sometime later this year. There is also a diesel version of the model in the works that could make its debut next year. However, the test car featured a 658cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine which returns a mileage of 25.8 km/l.
The Wagon R is sold in Japan as a KEI car that entitles the car to meet the country’s lower government tax and insurance regulations. The Japanese spec Wagon R is a far smaller version and is powered by a 660cc engine, instead of the 1.0-litre motor to meet the lower taxation norms.
Pictures Source – Gaadiwaadi.com