The 2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R will be available with two engine variants – 1000cc and 1200cc, with the bigger engine coming from the Swift
Recently, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd announced the commencement of the bookings of the 2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R. The new model goes on sale on 23 January 2018 and will rival the new Hyundai Santro and even the Tata Tiago. For the first time, the Wagon R will be available in four engine variants – 1.0 petrol, 1.0 petrol + CNG, 1.0 petrol + LPG, 1.2 petrol. The new 1.2 option for the tallboy is the same engine that powers the Swift and the Dzire.
The 2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R retains the boxy silhouette of its predecessors but has been completely redesigned both inside and out. The latest tallboy seems to have been inspired by the JDM model, which is only a good thing. More importantly, it’s the new 1.2-litre K12M petrol engine that is of more interest to us.
As we said, the 1.2-litre engine for the Wagon R is the same unit that powers models like the Swift, Dzire, Baleno, and Ignis. This engine produces a maximum power of 83 PS and 113 Nm. The 2019 Maruti Wagon R 1200cc model will be available with two transmission options – 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT and will deliver ARAI mileage of 21.5 km/l. There won’t be a CNG or an LPG version with the 1.2-litre motor.
Another highlight of the specs of the 2019 Maruti Wagon R 1200cc will be the lightweight HEARTECT platform that is rigid in spite of offering considerable weight saving. This is the same modern platform that underpins most recent Maruti cars like the Swift, Baleno and Ignis. The 1.2-litre engine option will be available only on the VXI and ZXI trim levels. On the other hand, the 1.0-litre engine variant will be available in LXI and VXI level grades. This will help the manufacturer price the car aggressively.
The 1.2-litre engine variant will help the 2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R take the fight straight to the Tata Tiago, which is on sale with a 1.2-litre petrol engine itself. It even has an AMT transmission on offer. On the other hand, the 1.0-litre engine will be adequate to take on the new Hyundai Santro, which itself comes with a 1.1-litre powerplant with power figures that aren’t too different from that of the Wagon R’s K10 platform.
The top-end trim of the 2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, which gets the 1.2-litre engine and the AMT, has a kerb weight of 845 kg. In comparison, the current Wagon R has a maximum kerb weight of 890 kg. The new model is lighter in spite of having a bigger engine and larger dimensions owing to the lightweight HEARTECT platform.
From this, two things are clear – 1) It will offer higher performance than the current model even with the 1.0-litre engine option. 2) It will even offer higher mileage due to the considerable weight savings.
In the top-end variant, the 2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R will offer many new features that have so far remained absent from Maruti cars in this price segment. The dashboard of the new model will carry a new SmartPlay Studio infotainment unit. It will also offer a round instrument cluster with a round speedo cluster and a digital tachometer. The steering wheel comes from the Ignis, while all the trims are expected to offer ABS with EBD and a driver-side airbag.
The 2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is expected to cost significantly more than the current version. However, in all probability, the company will be able to justify the premium it will command for the new model through a more spacious cabin, more features, more safety equipment, the 1.2-litre engine, and overall a more premium experience.