The AMT equipped Maruti Wagon R and Stingray models were spotted at a dealer stockyard with the launch expected by mid-November.
Maruti Suzuki in a way revolutionised the concept of affordable automatic cars in India when it introduced the Celerio AMT in 2014. The immense popularity of small automatics opened new avenues in the market which prompted Maruti to introduce the Magneti Marelli sourced AMT unit on the more affordable Alto K10 as well. Now, the Indian auto giant is all set to equip its extremely practical Wagon R and Stingray models with the AMT unit and the models were recently spotted at a dealer stockyard, ready for launch.
The ‘Auto Gear Shift’ badging can be found on the boot-lid while the gearshift knob inside the cabin is replaced with a slender looking unit with a brushed aluminium finish. The Maruti Wagon R and Stingray get the same 5-speed AMT unit found on the Celerio as well as Alto K10 and comes paired to a 1.0-litre K-Series petrol motor producing 68 PS. Unlike the Celerio that gets the AMT unit across all variants, the Wagon R could be offered with the autobox only on the VXi trim.
Given the strong demand, Magneti Marelli in a joint venture with Maruti Suzuki recently inaugurated its AMT manufacturing facility in India. The local production has not only helped bring costs down but also improved the sourcing period for the gearbox. Previously, the waiting period on the Celerio AMTs extended in months as the gearbox was imported from Italy. However, Maruti can now easily plonk the unit on more of its hatchbacks with the Wagon R being one of the firsts.
In terms of pricing, expect the Maruti Wagon R AMT VXi to command a premium of around Rs. 45-50,000/- over the standard model. The hatchback does not get any visual changes save for the badging while the interiors too remain the same. The fuel efficiency figure is expected to see a marginal change for the better. The Wagon R is India’s fourth best-selling car and with the AMT unit, one can expect sales to see a sharp spike as the gearbox further adds to the practicality quotient of the hatchback.
Spy Pictures Source – Gaadiwaadi.com
