Maruti Suzuki launched the Wagon R Stingray a year back with great pomp. The Stingray is nothing but a jazzed up Wagon R with few cosmetic changes on the exteriors, minor updates in the interiors and projector headlights. The vehicle does look better than the regular Wagon R but it still performed below expectations. It sells in negligible numbers and a Stingray on our roads is as rare as a Lamborghini. So, if the regular and boring Wagon R sells in huge numbers, why does the better-looking Wagon R under perform? Let us analyse why the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Stingray became a dud.
The Maruti Wagon R is a hatchback that is usually preferred by those who are looking for ease of driving, good fuel economy and low maintenance. It is a no nonsense vehicle that makes perfect sense for someone who might want a car to travel from Point A to Point B or someone who needs a compact second car to use in the city and mildly on the highways. Buyers who desire performance, handling, snob value, features, etc. probably increase their budget and consider some other vehicle.
With the Stingray, Maruti made the boring Wagon R look a bit better, gave it more features, new colour options, jazzy accessories and black interiors hoping to generate interest in the youth. All this came at a huge price and the downside is that the mechanicals of the vehicle remain untouched. Hence, even with all the goodies on offer, the Wagon R Stingray still gets the same 1.0-litre K10 3-cylinder petrol engine that is unrefined with poor handling characteristics and not-so-great quality.
The regular Wagon R is priced between Rs. 3.48 – 4.37 lakhs while the Stingray is priced between Rs. 4.00 – 4.59 lakhs (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). This results in a difference of Rs. 30,000/- approximately variant to variant. At this price, there is a plethora of options available to choose from, like the Chevrolet Beat, Honda Brio, Ford Figo and the Hyundai Grand i10. Hence, even though the Wagon R and Wagon R Stingray are both good vehicles, the latter simply gets blown away by competitors since they offer much more at a similar price point. Currently, there is a discount of Rs. 60,000/- being offered by dealers on the car.
