Maruti Suzuki WagonR based 7-seat compact MPV coming next year

Being the market leader the company is, Maruti Suzuki will leave no stone unturned in the market, and the same can be said about the MPV segment. According to a report by GaadiWaadi, the company is expected to launch a 7-seater compact MPV next year, and the vendors have started delivering parts to the company already. Code-named YJC, it will be positioned below the Ertiga and will benefit from the sub 4-meter excise benefit.

Showcased in 2013 as a concept based on the WagonR (called Three Row Concept), the mini MPV will take on the Datsun Go+, which happens to be the only sub 4-meter MPV available in India at present. Wagon R, which in its current form offers a decent amount of space can only benefit from the addition of a few hundred milimetres of wheelbase and length.

Pricing will be crucial, but Maruti seldom gets that wrong. It’s too soon to say about the engine options, but apart from the 1-litre K10B unit doing duty in the Wagon R, the company also has a 1.2-litre (used in the Swift) which should be able to provide ample power to lug the added weight. Another possibility is of the DDiS 125 – the engine that powers the Celerio diesel – making it to the YJC. The latter will of course widen the vehicle’s appeal.

As for the hatchback, even one and a half decade after its launch, the Wagon R still manages to maintain about 7,000 units per month. It’s available in multiple fuel options (petrol, LPG, and CNG) and cab be seen being used as personal as well as taxi vehicles. So, looking at that, YJC is an opportunity just waiting to be tapped.

[Images courtesy Dapurpacu]