Wagon R FZ Hybrid imported for R&D

The Wagon R is one of the most successful small cars to come from Suzuki’s stable. Born in 1993, the car was introduced in India only in 1999 and has received three upgrades ever since. Known for its small dimensions, tall-boy like design and good interior space, the Wagon R has always been a volume seller and has been in the top four for Maruti Suzuki in terms of sales for a long time. The vehicle will soon be getting the AMT unit which will further enhance its appeal and help it clock more sales for the company. But it seems that Maruti Suzuki is planning to take the Wagon R a step ahead and even launch the hybrid version in our country.

The company has just imported one unit of the Wagon R FZ Hybrid to India from Japan for research and development purposes. Currently in its fifth generation, Japan got the hybrid version September 2012 onwards and this model is equipped with the mild hybrid system called “S-ene Charge”. The 660cc engine powering the Wagon R is paired to a CVT automatic gearbox which is combined with an electric motor/generator and a lithium-ion battery. The electric motor comes first into action when the car is started up. The engine of this model switches off on its own when the vehicle is idling and the motor brings it back to life when you are to start moving.

Energy is also generated when the car is decelerating thanks to the motor and this energy is used to power electrical equipment like the air-conditioning unit and the audio system. This basically makes the Wagon R save more fuel as compared to the conventional model. If Maruti plans to launch the hybrid in India, then its pricing is going to play a key role as the added technology will definitely ask for a premium price. Anyhow, we hope Maruti Suzuki comes up with another plan similar to the AMT unit and brings the hybrid technology to our country as well.