Maruti Suzuki WagonR EV among 6 new electric cars to be launched by company in India

The WagonR EV could be part of the EV lineup that comes soon after. The WagonR EV could be positioned as an entry-level EV that would compete with the likes of the Tata Tiago EV and the Citroen eC3 in India. The Fronx EV could be positioned as a city-biased compact electric SUV while the Jimny EV could positioned as a hardcore off-roader EV.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR EV in the works

The global announcement highlights the silhouette of a vehicle that looks fairly similar to the WagonR EV. The possibility of the WagonR EV coming to the Indian market could hence be fairly strong as the vehicle could cater to the entry-level EV market in India.

Maruti Suzuki has been testing the WagonR EV in India since 2018 but has not confirmed the project’s real-world viability. Maruti’s top executives have explained the company’s reluctance to offer a low-cost EV by citing the price hike that comes with an electric powertrain as compared to its ICE counterpart. An electric powertrain in a WagonR would bring the car up by a couple of segments in terms of price. However, the vehicle’s brand value will still be of an entry-level car, much like the company’s Alto brand. Maruti will also have to plonk in safety features such as four to six airbags, hill ascent and decent control, better brakes, stronger structural construction, etc to justify the price tag. 

The WagonR should likely have multiple battery pack options, and charging options and must deliver a real-world range of 200km+ to compete with rivals such as the Tata Tiago EV, the Tata Tigor EV and the Citroen eC3. 

Off-road-biased Jimny EV and city-biased Fronx EV also expected

Maruti Suzuki could also bring in electric versions of the Jimny off-roader and the city-friendly Fronx SUV. Both vehicles have been introduced in India and will soon be on sale. The company has received a warm response for the models which could be a credible booster to the company’s EV plans for the vehicles. The Jimny EV could get a dual motor setup to retain its 4×4 capability while the Fronx could do with a front-mounted motor setup. That said its currently unknown when the models will see the light of day or the specifications of the hardware that it could come with.