New Maruti WagonR to get 4 fuel options: Petrol, LPG, CNG & Electric

The all-new Maruti Suzuki WagonR is less than one month away from launch. The WagonR is India’s best-selling tallboy hatchback currently, and the new model will replace it on the 23rd of January, 2019. The car will be available with not one, not two but four fuel options – petrol, LPG, CNG and Electric.

While the petrol and CNG dual fuel options of the new Maruti WagonR are expected to be available right from launch, the LPG-Petrol dual fuel option could be made available a few weeks/months later. The all-electric variant of the car will take a while to arrive though, and it won’t be before 2020 when you can buy one from a Maruti dealer near you.

This said, testing of the all-new WagonR Electric has already commenced on Indian roads and the car is on schedule for a 2020 debut. It will be the first mass-market electric car from Maruti Suzuki and a competitive price tag is likely. Expect to pay less than Rs. 10 lakhs for the all-electric variant of the WagonR. The car is expected to have a usable range per charge as well. While the exact figure is yet to be revealed, about 150-200 kilometers of usable range per charge is what the new Maruti WagonR Electric is likely to offer.

Coming back to the internal combustion engined variants, the car is expected to be offered with the same 1-liter, 3 cylinder K-Series petrol engine. This motor makes 67 Bhp-90 Nm in the outgoing WagonR, and similar outputs are likely on the all-new variant. While running on LPG and CNG, the motor is expected to make slightly lower power and torque numbers. As for gearboxes, a 5-speed manual unit will be standard while a 5 speed AMT option will be offered on the petrol variants. The LPG and CNG dual fuel variants will only get the manual gearbox.

With the Bharat Stage 6 emission norms looming large in April 2020, it’s likely that the all-new WagonR’s engine is tuned to meet the upcoming emission norms. If that’s the case at launch, the car will be Maruti’s first model to meet the new emission norms well in advance. What the all-new Maruti WagonR will certainly comply with the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) norms. Under these norms, an airbag, ABS+EBD, reverse parking sensors, speed alerts and a seat belt reminder are the various safety features that are mandatory on all new cars.

All these features will be standard on the all-new WagonR. Provision for ISOFIX child seats is also expected to be offered across all trims. The new WagonR will get a brand new exterior design but with the tall-boy form factor intact. On the inside too, a new dashboard and totally revised interiors will be offered in the new car. However, traits such as spacious-ness and roominess will be carried over to the new car. As for pricing, the all-new Maruti WagonR is likely to challenge the Hyundai Santro directly. Expect prices to start from about Rs. 4 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi.