Suzuki Motor Corporation had unveiled an MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) concept car in Indonesia, based on its popular Wagon R tall-boy hatchback. Named the Wagon R 3 Rows Concept, the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R MPV could soon go on sale in India to take on the likes of low-cost MPVs such as Datsun Go+ and Tata Venture. While the platform and the wheelbase for the upcoming low-cost MPV is the same as that of the Wagon R we all know of, the difference is extra interior and head space as compared to the donor model. The additional rear overhang should be credited for the increased interior space. In its present shape, the Wagon R MPV that you see here may have many opportunities in India. We believe that the Maruti Wagon R MPV India launch isn’t too far in the offing.
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Launch
While there’s no official word on the launch, the Wagon R MPV India launch could take place by the end of financial year 2016-2017.
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Specification
Talking about the engine, it’s the same three-cylinder K-Series 1.0-litre petrol motor that powers the regular Wagon R. This motor is good for 66 BHP of max. power and comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Rumours abound that the car can be launched in diesel and CNG variants too.
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At present, the latest variant of the Wagon R, the Stingray is doing well, which has bolstered Maruti’s confidence inspite of a slow market. The possibilities of expanding the Wagon R platform makes sense to the company. The threat of competition from the likes of Honda and Datsun have also made them realise the importance of a mini-MPV. After the grand success of its MPV Ertiga, the company knows the potential of the MPV segment in the country. While there are some chances that thew new MPV would cannibalize the sales of the low-end variant of the Ertiga, Maruti knows that this offering could be a money minting enterprise for the company.
As we said, the possibilities of the Wagon R MPV coming to the India are very high, taking all things into consideration. But we will have to wait for an official confirmation (or spy shots) to be sure, we will keep you posted about the developments on this front. Keep tuned in to Car Blog India.
Image Courtesy- Dapurpacu.com
