Maruti Suzuki Wagon R EV is expected to go on sale in India sometime next year and it could be offered only via Nexa dealerships
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) announced the commencement of testing of 50 Wagon R prototypes in late 2018 and over the last year and a half we have seen the test mules evolving. From being JDM-spec Wagon R units to fully wrapped near-production Wagon R EVs based on the third generation tall hatchback introduced in January 2019, we have observed them every time.
Currently, the largest carmaker in the country is testing around 100 electrified Wagon R prototypes day-in and day-out across India. This makes us wonder whether Maruti Suzuki would set a world record with the pre-production prototypes for the number of KMs being tested. The Wagon R EV is expected to go on sale in India sometime later this year as the brand’s first all-electric vehicle.
It could be sold exclusively through Nexa premium dealerships that has emerged as the third largest retail network in India with more than 1.1 million unit sales over the last half a decade. From the recent spy shots, some of the design details of the production-spec Wagon R EV can be noted and it looks to be a more premium offing compared to the IC-engined hatch.
The front end of the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R EV comprises of projector headlamps in a now-trending split headlamp cluster and the LED Daytime Running Lights appear to have been positioned above with LED turn signals. The front bumper has circular fog lamps and the multi-spoke U-shaped black alloy wheels in the test mules are seemingly borrowed from the Ignis.
The signature tall pillars will be retained in the electrified Wagon R and the side profile looks largely identical as well. The rear gets vertically positioned LED tail lamps along with high-mounted stop lamp in the tailgate. The interior of the production Wagon R EV will be more upmarket with the presence of a SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Moreover, cloud-based functions could also be included along with better quality cabin materials. The Maruti Suzuki Wagon R EV could initially be offered for taxi buyers before getting to the hands of private customers. It could have a charging time of around seven hours using a standard AC charger.
A DC fast charging could reduce the charging time drastically to under an hour for replenishing back to 80 per cent from zero. The real world driving range of around 130 km is expected on a single charge and the Wagon R EV could cost in the sub-10 lakh bracket (ex-showroom).