[TusharK]

It's been two decades since the Maruti WagonR was first launched in the Indian market. The model was introduced in 1999.



By 2004, Maruti had sold 1 lakh units of the WagonR. In 2006, the carmaker introduced the WagonR Duo LPG. The second-generation WagonR was launched in 2010 and was also offered with a factory-fitted CNG option. The WagonR Stingray was launched in 2013. WagonR sales crossed the 20 lakh milestone in 2017.

The third generation WagonR was launched in January 2019. It is available with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine producing 67 BHP and 90 Nm and a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol unit that makes 82 BHP and 113 Nm. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT.

Link to Team-BHP News

[ValarMorghulis]

Only yesterday at the dinner table we were discussing how sedans have faded in sales viz-a-viz SUVs, like City vs Creta.
My wife mentioned that City is a really old model and for the love of God I couldn't think of a single car older than 15 years and still selling in good numbers.

Today I see this. You've got to give it to Maruti Suzuki. They know how to sell lemons like hot cakes!

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

... They know how to sell lemons like hot cakes!

Let me also state, for the record, that the Wagon-R is an absolute gem of a car for the city! (My FIL has one, so officially as well this is my stance).

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

You've got to give it to Maruti Suzuki. They know how to sell lemons like hot cakes!

I have hardly seen or known any Wagon R breaking down or giving a lot of trouble to the owner. I owned one for 7 years and it was completely stress free ownership.

Quite wrong to call such a successful car a lemon. A lot of us have learned to drive and own Wagon R as our first car. I am sure 9/10 of them would have had a hassle free ownership experience.

If you mean to say the odd design and quality of materials then probably we need to appreciate MS for selling that too in huge numbers.

But definitely not a Lemon

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

...But definitely not a Lemon

I feel the same way and immediately corrected myself in the subsequent post. Wagon-R is a fab ride for the city with a good boot. I have driven this multiple times between Chandigarh - Patiala and can vouch for it drive-ability in the city. Highway not so much.


In terms of lemons, well, would S-Presso qualify for that? If not, then which car would from any carmaker?

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

In terms of lemons, well, would S-Presso qualify for that? If not, then which car would from any carmaker?

No car is a Lemon in totality. There are few batches/products which turn out to be lemons i.e there are more niggles than expected or more than other same product.

S Presso again is a fabulous car for the price point and market it is intended to serve to. There is high probability that it may even eat up Wagon R market to an extent.

[headbanger]

The success of Wagon R lies in the fact that a considerable percentage of its sales are repeat sales. Once a wagon R consumer, chances are high the next one will also be a new Wagon R when the old one is due for change. And this phenomenon is not just limited to middle class. I have seen so many families opting for Wagon R as a beater car, as car for the older folks when their other ride is a much costlier option.
Maruti may not be lauded for making the safest cars but this is one special car which appeals to a broad range of customers and is a consistent participant in the top 10 cars list sold monthly. Lots of folks are of the view that S Presso will be Wagon R slayer. I disagree with that humbly because there is a strong brand value that Wagon R has created for itself over the last 2 decades.

Twenty years is not a small time line by any imagination and this car has not faded into oblivion. Just think of manufactures who came to India and left in these two decades while Wagon R just chugged along.

Before this thread turns into Maruti versus non Maruti, let's just take a step back and give credit where it's due. The product may be imperfect but the experience of living with this car mostly will sound like perfect. Who better than our own Bhpian Paragsachania to reach out to for understanding what value Wagon R brings.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by TusharK

It's been two decades since the Maruti WagonR was first launched in the Indian market. The model was introduced in 1999.

By 2004, Maruti had sold 1 lakh units of the WagonR..... WagonR sales crossed the 20 lakh milestone in 2017.

WagonR is a great car and has a huge fan following for all the right reasons. During its launch, an Indian had to choose among M800, WagonR, Santro and Zen as the available hatchback options. Today, the other three models have been discontinued (I don't consider the current Santro as the actual successor of the 1st gen car), but the WagonR still sells in good numbers. However, what surprised me is the sales growth. (sorry for going OT)

MS took 5 years to sell the first 1L units.
MS took just 13 years to sell another 19L units!

Some credit goes to Suzuki for building this car but, a lot of credit goes to us, as a market, to buy those many cars. It goes on to show the alarming growth that Indian Auto sector has seen in the past 20 years and the huge appetite that the market continues to have!

[AspiringIndian]

I have fond memories of the Wagon R. I remember test driving it at the COEP grounds in Pune when it was shown as a 3 door direct import. I remember providing feedback stating "Would definitely buy if the car has 4 doors"

Fast forward to Jan 2000 - We were among the first few customers in Pune to have taken delivery of the Wagon R.

Someone here said that many people are loyal customers of the Wagon R - this rings so true, my friend's parents are on their 3rd Wagon R.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

Today I see this. You've got to give it to Maruti Suzuki. They know how to sell lemons like hot cakes!

And today, after nearly 14 years, I know how this Lemon has been impeccably reliable and served us more than an Orange for over 2.55 Lac Km .

It was never a great car but It was never a bad car either and what it could do as a car then (and even now), is something only owners would be able to narrate and I for one am speaking as an owner without glorifying any bit about it.

[BZ25]

I recall back in 2003, when my parents were planning to buy their first car, they we confused between the Wagon R and the Santro Xing. My mother hated the boxy looks of the car(though she likes boxy SUVs and estates). In the end they bought a Santro Xing which we sold off in March this year.

In 2010, I sat in a friend's Wagon R and was really impressed by the space on offer, and the AC was really powerful. Sometimes I wonder what life would have been with a Wagon R if my parents had purchased one back then.

[AspiringIndian]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

Today I see this. You've got to give it to Maruti Suzuki. They know how to sell lemons like hot cakes!

Given when this car was introduced into the Indian market and also the popularity it enjoyed in Japan - it is hardly right to call it a lemon.

The car did polarize the general public because until then India had not seen a radical toyboy boxy design that the Wagon R championed and the traditional conservative buyer was not impressed.

[saisree]

WagonR - A No-Nonsense car. A white F10-D model still turns your head. I owned the 2009 model for 6 years, my brother-in-law is owning it now and its still going strong. This is the model that has put smiles on many middle class families.
2 decades is a feat and kudos to MS for keeping and upgrading the model without loosing its popular feature being Airy.

[Sutripta]

Had the first of the VXi models, rear wiper, folding rear seats et all. Perfect city car, esp for a one car family. Except for a very rubbery gearshift, nothing really to fault in it. Wish I had not sold it off.

The next model with the K10 engine with its lack of LET was not a pleasure to drive in the city. And rear seat room increased compromising on bootspace.

The WagonR seems to have morphed in two directions. The new WagonR is considerably bigger. The Spresso considerably smaller. Coming now, there is no direct replacement of the original WagonR from Maruti.

Regards
Sutripta

[procrastinator]

From a mango man perspective, it looks dabba.
(No offence to owners/admirers/Maruti Suzuki/WagonR itself )

After driving one, I have become a FAN of it.

High seating, Excellent visibility, compliant ride, compact dimensions yet very roomy; it's undoubtedly one of the best car to drive in city.

It puts smile on our face when long term reviews of fellow bhpians and stories shared by them embarrass the solid built cars on reliability.

BTW, Happy Birthday Wagon R!
You look better as you age

[McLaren Rulez]

Phenomenally reliable and practical, it really is the perfect city car. If only Maruti would make them a bit safer...