New Maruti WagonR facelift spotted testing with CNG tank, more features

Maruti Suzuki's WagonR, long a leader in the family car segment in India, is set to get a new facelift. The company has started testing the updated version of the third-generation WagonR hatchback, on sale since 2019. This is being seen as the biggest update yet for the model, with both cosmetic and mechanical changes expected, including advanced features, better mileage, and improved interior and exterior design.

The current WagonR is a third-generation facelift model launched in February 2022. Since its launch it has seen strong sales growth and has on occasion been the country's top-selling car. It is also the first car in the country that can run on 85 percent ethanol. The company has now begun testing the new facelift model, with the test car seen heavily covered.

There are not expected to be major changes to the exterior look, though some mild but attractive updates are likely. At the front, the car is expected to get a new air inlet design, revised halogen headlamp detailing, a changed front grille and a smoother bumper finish. At the rear, the bumper has been altered slightly, with vertical reflectors replacing the horizontal ones on the current model. The overall shape of the car and the tail-lamp design have largely been retained from the existing model.

The biggest feature of this facelift is expected to be its CNG setup. The test car was seen with an underbody-mounted CNG tank, meaning the CNG cylinder is fitted beneath the car. As with the Brezza facelift, mounting the cylinder underneath is expected to free up significant boot space for customers.

On the engine front, the base and mid-spec variants are likely to continue with the existing 1.0 litre, 3-cylinder petrol and CNG options. In the top variant, the older 1.2 litre K-series engine (K12N) may be replaced with a new 3-cylinder Z-series (Z12E) engine. Maruti's Swift, Dzire and Baleno already use the Z-series engine in place of the K-series, which improves fuel efficiency in those cars, and the same change is now expected in the WagonR.