Market buzz suggests that Maruti plans to battle the slowdown by launching the WagonR Stingray, an all-new premium variant of its popular tall-boy WagonR.
The Stingray was launched in Japan in 2012 and incorporates several changes expected to be seen in the Indian variant as well.
The Stingray features aggressive styling cues and is a sportier version of the standard WagonR. The car is expected to have redesigned deeper and thinner headlamps with a sporty chrome strip on the grille, along with reworked interiors with colour contrasts and a dashboard-mounted gear lever.
In India, the Stingray is likely to feature manual transmission and be powered by the 1-litre K-Series petrol engine currently doing duty on the A-Star, Alto K10, and WagonR, as against the smaller but sophisticated 660 cc engine powering the Japanese Stingray. Maruti could also launch CNG and LPG variants to counter rising petrol prices in India. A diesel variant may not be launched any time soon as Maruti is apparently still working on a compact diesel engine for its smaller models.
Sources close to the development indicate that Maruti might launch the car during the monsoon season and hopes the car will boost its 2013 volumes. Trial production of the Stingray is believed to have commenced, and the car will be sold alongside the current WagonR. The company hopes this car will be able to carve its own place in the market and occupy a new premium position.
Market experts believe that the increasing acceptance of pricey, premium cars in the Indian market bodes well for the Stingray. The new car is likely to help boost Maruti’s market share but the slowdown in overall market demand is still a concern. The Stingray is expected to be priced a notch above the standard WagonR, currently selling at a price of Rs 3.57-4.44 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).
