The WagonR Stingray was unveiled in Japan nearly a year ago and word
has been in the air thanks to rumours about a possible India launch.
Adding to the credibility of the news, the car was spotted during a
photo shoot in India which has been followed up now by clearer images
of the demo car.
The WagonR Stingray, for starters, isn't a limited-edition variant
or sticker job. The fact that dealers are being trained to sell this
new vehicle is proof that it is a substantially different vehicle. Second,
as appears to be the fashion these days, the Stingray will not replace
the existing WagonR - which is is now being sold at a discount of Rs
30,000.
It will be positioned above the current WagonR, much like the Grand-i10,
Indica-Vista and Micra- Active. There will be three variants on offer,
Lxi, Vxi and Vxi (o).
The Vxi (o) gets projector headlamps, fog lamps, alloy wheels, a new
music system, ABS and a driver airbag. On all variants, the Stingray
will have a chrome grille with different headlamps than on the current
or soon-to-be old WagonR model. There will be graphics, even for the
base Lxi trim. The tail lamps will also be slightly altered.
Maruti will launch the car with a 1.0-litre 68PS K10 engine and 5-speed
manual transmission. The Stingray will, however, be available only in
petrol and unlike the older variant, will not be offered in CNG. This
will be the USP of the old WagonR. The rumoured 800cc diesel engine
is in the works, and will make its debut around late 2014 or early 2015.
Prices will be announced on launch date, expected to be next week. Expect
the Stingray to be priced around Rs 45-50,000 more than the old car.
