Maruti discontinues Wagon-R VX, introduces power-steering

Maruti Udyog Limited has discontinued production of the top-end version of its latest offering Wagon-R VX and is introducing two new variants of the car featuring power-steering as standard fitment.

The company is working on the price of the new models, which will be despatched to dealerships on Friday, Maruti Udyog managing director Jagdish Khattar said on Thursday.

The company will now have four variants of Wagon-R -- LX, AX, LXI and VXI. The existing LX version will continue to be under production, while LXI and VXI versions will sport electric power-steering.

This new offensive comes in response to the recent move by competitors Hyundai Motor India Limited and Daewoo Motor India Limited to introduce power-steering on their respective small cars.

Maruti had been offering discounts of up to Rs 30,000 on the Wagon-R VX in a bid to clear dealer inventories.

The company, Khattar said, is not in favour of discontinuing the automatic transmission versions of its passenger cars -- Zen, Wagon-R and Esteem -- despite low volumes.

"These versions cater to a niche segment. Though we have been trying to educate people on the benefits of an automatic transmission model, the sales have not really picked up. But we will continue to produce the models,'' Khattar said.

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