Demand too low for Maruti Wagon R 7 seater MPV, says CV Raman

IAB has learnt that Maruti Suzuki is not yet convinced on making a Maruti Wagon R 7-seater MPV, which was reported to enter production in September 2018.

The next-gen Maruti Wagon R was anticipated to have a 7-seat version going against the Datsun GO+ and the Renault RBC due next year. However, Maruti Suzuki doesn’t see a potential for such a three-row MPV just yet.

On the sidelines of the 2018 Maruti Ciaz’s media drive, IAB queried CV Raman, Senior Executive Director (Engineering), Maruti Suzuki, about the possibility of making the Maruti Wagon R a more practical offering by packaging it in a 7-seat form. The engineering chief said -

We study the MPV segments, and it is actually shrinking...volumes are too low. And if people need practicality of 7 seats in budget, we offer this already with Omni and Eeco. And we have Ertiga also which offers VFM. So products are already available.

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Suzuki had tried to pitch the idea of a 7-seat Wagon R in Indonesia with a concept in 2013, but Maruti Suzuki has never done so. The next-gen Maruti Wagon R is said to arrive later this year and is already testing. It may get a 7-seat version at some point in its lifecycle, but a launch in the near future is unlikely.

Next, if reports are to go by, the redesigned model will have a pure electric variant following in 2020. However, Raman did not confirm this, saying -

We are looking at EVs but there is nothing set in stone about EVs and Wagon R joining forces. We are still studying feasibility of EVs for India.