In the last 5-6 years in the Indian market, there has been a drastic decline in demand for small cars. Maruti Suzuki company is known for its cheap small cars. This is the reason that the company has also started paying more attention to a few premium segments. However, last month, the company assured that it would increase the focus on Maruti's small cars in India.
In Suzuki's management plan released in February 2025, the company said that it is working on an entry-level car which will be available in many powertrains like mild-hybrid, CNG and flex-fuel. Media reports claimed that Suzuki is working on developing a hybrid powertrain for the new generation WagonR.
According to a recent report by the Japanese news portal, Suzuki is working on a new generation WagonR, which can be launched globally by 2025. Currently, the current generation WagonR 2019 is available for sale in India. The new WagonR will have some big upgrade than its old model. These include engine and cosmetic updates.
There will be a new design in the new generation WagonR, which will have a sliding rear door. This design will be more convenient for passengers. It is expected that now the company can make the size of WagonR a little larger. The new generation WagonR will be 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide and 1,650 mm high. The hatchback will be 2,460 mm wheelbase. The weight will be around 850 kg, which is similar to the current model.
The Japan-Spak New-Jen WagonR will be launched with Suzuki's advanced hybrid system. It is expected that the hybrid wagonR coming to India will have a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine, hybrid. Maruti's strategy of giving hybrid technology in small cars will be largely affected by government policies. Currently EV gets more encouragement than hybrids. For example, the GST rate for EV is only 5%. Apart from this, many states provide tax exemption for electric vehicles.
