Suzuki is celebrating a quarter
century of one of its biggest sellers this year.
The Japanese automaker first introduced the Wagon R
back in 1993, hitting the scene as one of the first tall kei cars to make the
most of its small footprint. In the years since, it’s sold millions of them –
4.6 M, to be precise, in the Japanese Domestic Market alone.
In other words, it has sold over three and a half
times as many Wagon Rs just in Japan than it did of all of its models in the
nearly 30 years it competed in the US market. That makes this a rather important
model for Suzuki, giving it good cause to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The Wagon R 25th Anniversary edition is actually
being offered in three versions based on the Hybrid FX Limited, the Hybrid FZ
Limited, and the Stingray Hybrid X trim levels. And they each get their own
special touches, from the color of the instrument panel and fabric seat
upholstery to the 14- or 15-inch alloys and the exterior trim.
What doesn’t change from one model to the next is
the powertrain: all are powered by a 660-cc mild-hybrid system mated to a CVT
and driving either the front or all four wheels. It’s a formula common to most
JDM kei cars, and judging from the Wagon R’s unbridled success, we’d say it’s
worked pretty well for Suzuki.
