2013 Maruti Wagon R: Better looks and improved mileage

Maruti Wagon R, one of the most loved family cars of India, was launched in new and refreshing attire on Monday.

For months this new facelift has been teased in Maruti Suzuki's latest TV commercial titled as 'Festivals', giving away nothing more than a few tantalising hints on the upgraded front fascia that the Tall Boy flaunts in its new avatar.

And just a couple of days before the actual launch, on January 12, the company revealed the very first official images of the facelift.

Rolled out in a fleet of four, which comprises three petrol variants along with a CNG counterpart, the freshly redesigned Wagon R has much more than just an exterior upgrade to offer its buyers.

With its interiors sporting a new and graceful theme and its engine promising an improved fuel-economy, the hatchback has become an even better buy than it ever was.

The price starts at Rs 358,000 and goes up to Rs 439,000 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.

Making its Indian debut way back in 1999, and undergoing a series of overhauls since then in 2003, 2006 and 2010, Maruti Suzuki Wagon R has been worked upon with the fourth upgrade of its lifetime for this 2013 model.

And the first change, or rather improvement that one notices is its contemporary front design.

Dropping the older facade that was characterised by a dual-slat front grille, the revamped model of this small car displays a more compact version of the grille with a single horizontal slat and an exclusive stroke of chrome for the high-end LXi and VXi variants.

like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.

Falling better in tune with the modern 'Waterfall' design trend of MSI that presently adorns the likes of the new Ertiga and Swift DZire, the front fascia of 2013 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R receives a larger air dam along with a repositioned set of sporty fog lamps and a revised bumper that not only helps on the superficial level, making the car look bigger than before, but also helps make a difference on the mechanical front by cutting down on the friction and hence the wind noise is generated while the car is on the move.

Modifications on the front end is all that the hatchback receives on the outside, borrowing the side and rear profiles almost exactly as they were from the preceding generation.

like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.

Moving to the interiors, the cabin of the newly revised Wagon R gets to flaunt a fresh and elegant dual-tone Beige-and-Black colour scheme that imparts a very classy look and feel to the car.

With the upper half of the dashboard donned in sophisticated Beige, excellently complemented by the lower half in sporty Black, the twin-tone theme continues over the upholstery too, however, only for the LX and LXi variants.

While a matching Beige-and-Black scheme adorns the furnishings of these two models, the top-end VXi model sports a swanky all-beige upholstery.

like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.

Besides a fresh colour combination for the seating area, Maruti Suzuki India have also provided a couple of new shades - an enticing Passion Red and a sophisticated Ecru Beige - for the exterior paint job of the 2013 Wagon R.

Coming back to the interiors, we notice a newly added storage compartment right on top of the glovebox to provide additional room for keeping small objects at hand.

Plus, to assist the driver with visibility during night-time rides, the interior rear view mirror for the small car has been blessed with the day/night feature aimed at reducing reflections and glare.

like car research, reviews, car comparisons, discounts, on-road prices etc. on CarDekho.com.

Extending the list of exclusives for the top-notch VXi version of the latest Wagon R, the world-renowned makers of hatchbacks have geared their car up with a fully-loaded 'Eagle Wings' music system, complete with USB connectivity, an AUX-in port and a highly improved control panel.

With all these over-the-surface updates enhancing the overall look and feel of the car, the brilliant tweaks that have been worked under its hood help the ride in scoring much higher on the performance scale.

Fine-tuned to deliver an impressive improvement of 8 per cent in fuel-economy, bringing the mileage to 20.51kmpl (as per the CMVR Rule 115A), the same 1.0-litre K-series petrol mill drives the 2013 Wagon R that used to power its predecessor.

Churning out a peak 67bhp for a maximum 90Nm of torque, this brilliantly engineered mill comes accompanied with the high-tech OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics) system that enables convenient tracking of the engine's health, thereby making it easy to anticipate the servicing needs of the power-house.