Maruti Suzuki WagonR completes 25 years in India, over three million units sold

Maruti Suzuki WagonR has turned 25 in India. Launched for the first time ever on December 18 of 1999, the WagonR has been one of the most successful models for Maruti Suzuki over the past two and half decades, trailing only to the Alto from the same family.

Positioned as an urban commute car initially, the Maruti WagonR has managed to bridge the gap between urban and rural India with a widespread acceptance across the vast expanse of the country. And while its initial set of rivals - Hyundai Santro, Tata Indica and Daewoo Matiz - have all faded away into oblivion, the WagonR not only continues to play the small-car game but play it strong.

Over the past 25 years, Maruti Suzuki has sold over three million units (3.2 million or 32 lakh) of WagonR in the country and also exported it under the Suzuki moniker to several foreign markets like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, among others.

Why is Maruti WagonR popular?

WagonR was initially met with with mixed response due to its boxy styling from the outside. But its spacious cabin, reliability and frugal 1.1-litre petrol engine helped its cause enormously. Did you know that WagonR was one of the first small car in the country to offer both power steering and front power windows?

Over the years, both cosmetic and generational changes have ensured that WagonR remains a firm favourite for budget buyers in India. The current-gen WagonR remains spacious, reliable and enjoys a solid resale value, and there are two petrol engine options under the hood and the choice to opt for company-fitted CNG. There is also a five-speed automatic gear shift or AGS option available.

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Maruti Suzuki has also equipped the top variants of WagonR with dual-tone hues and alloys while the HEARTECT claims to make the present-gen model lighter but with a stronger body than ever before. In FY 2024, WagonR emerged as the best-selling passenger vehicle in the country for the third consecutive time.

But recent years have also thrown up potential pain points for the model and the segment in which it competes in. Aspersions are often raised on the crash worthiness of the WagonR - the model scored a one-star rating in Global NCAP crash tests. Maruti, however, maintains all its models meet Indian safety standards.

There is also a sustained preference towards SUV body type and models like Nissan Magnite have entered the fray at price points that are close to that of the WagonR.

Then there is the affordability factor in the sub- ₹10 lakh category where first-time car buyers - a large section of WagonR buyers - are perhaps more cautious than before.

But the inherent strengths of Maruti WagonR remain intact - spacious, frugal, reliable, popular in the used-car segment and backed by Maruti Suzuki's extensive service network.

Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.