Maruti WagonR is one of the most-popular
tall-boy hatchbacks in India. Maruti currently offers the WagonR with two
petrol engine options, but it would soon be offered with an electric powertrain
also. The electrified version of the WagonR has been spotted doing test rounds
a few times. However, it has been recently spotted again in Gurgaon, Haryana.
Maruti has not confirmed anything
about the electrified WagonR. Although, reports suggest that it would initially
be offered to the cab aggregators. At a later stage, Maruti will introduce the
WagonR EV to the private car buyers. The carmaker believes that the EV
infrastructure required for such products is still in its nascent stage. Thus,
owners will shy away from shifting to an electric vehicle from a conventional
fossil-powered car.
In terms of design, the WagonR EV will
sport a slew of changes on the outside in comparison to the petrol variants of
the WagonR. A revised front facet with vertically-split headlamps, bigger and
wider grille, and resculpted bumper are expected to be seen on the WagonR EV.
Also, the test mule was spotted with 15-inch alloy wheels, which seems to have
been borrowed from the Ignis.
On the inside, the WagonR EV will continue
with the same interior layout as the WagonR. But the gear lever will be
replaced with a manual KERS (Kinetic Energy Regeneration System) selector. The
WagonR will miss out on the automatic regenerative braking systems as seen on
expensive EVs. The driver will have to manually shift the lever to turn on the
process using the KERS lever. To save on some power, the WagonR EV will also
come with LED lighting elements in place.
The WagonR EV is expected to be the
cheapest high-voltage EV to go on sale in India. To keep the costs in check it
will come with a smaller battery pack that will give it a driving range of
around 200 km.
