There’s a general perception that what we get here from Suzuki, Honda, Toyota and others is inferior and more expensive than what our neighbors in the East get from these companies.
Our habit of self-loathing aside, there seems to be some truth to it.
Maruti Suzuki has just launched the facelift of the 3rd generation of WagonR in India. Now it’s more efficient and modernized than ever before. Such drastic improvements let us wonder why we always get served the short end of the stick with a 2nd generation WagonR which has been around since 2014.
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Suzuki Wagon R 2023 Price in Pakistan (3rd gen), Specs, and Expected Features
If you’re interested in knowing the real comparison between the Pakistani and the Indian WagonR, here’s a detailed one.
(For a fair comparison, we are only comparing the top of the line variants of both of these cars.)
Variants of Pakistani vs. Indian Wagon R
Pak Suzuki offers Wagon R in 3 variants,
- Wagon R VXR
- Wagon R VXL
- Wagon R VXL AGS
While the Indian Maruti Suzuki is offered in 9 variants,
- LXl 1.0L
- LXl CNG 1.0L
- VXl 1.0L
- VXl AGS 1.0L
- VXl 1.0L CNG
- ZXl 1.2L
- ZXl AGS 1.2L
- ZXl+ 1.2L
- ZXl+ AGS 1.2L
In short, Indians have more WagonRs to choose from.
Specifications Comparison: Wagon R AGS vs Wagon R ZXI+ AGS 1.2L
Credit: Maruti Suzuki
| Specifications | Pakistani Wagon R | Indian Wagon R |
| L × W × H (mm) | 3600×1475×1670 | 3655×1620×1675 |
| Ground Clearance (mm) | 170 | 165 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2400 | 2435 |
| Curb weight (kg) | 835 | 835-850 |
| Engine Displacement (cc) | 998 | 1197 |
| Engine technology | K10B 12 valve DOHC | K12N Dual Jet, 16 valve. Dual VVT with ISS |
| Hp and Torque | 67 hp and 90 Nm | 88 hp and 113 Nm |
| Transmission | AGS | AGS |
| Alloy wheels | 13-inch alloy wheels | 14-inch alloy wheels |
| Tyre Size | 145/80/R13 | 165/70/R14 |
| Fuel tank capacity | 35 | 32 |
As can be seen, Maruti Suzuki comes with a K12N engine which is more robust, efficient and powerful than the engine in the newly launched Suzuki Swift in Pakistan. The engine used in Pakistani Swift produces 82 hp, which is less than the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R.
Keep in mind that Swift is a premium hatchback in Pakistan costing almost Rs.3 million for its top of the line variant, while Maruti Suzuki is a budget hatchback that costs slightly more than half of Swift’s price.
Features Comparison: Wagon R AGS vs Wagon R ZXI+ AGS 1.2L
| Features | Pakistani Wagon R | Indian Wagon R |
| keyless entry | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbags | Single Driver side only in AGS variant | 2 |
| ABS with EBD | – | ✓ |
| Push Start | – | – |
| Adjustable steering wheel | – | ✓ |
| Multimedia steering control | – | ✓ |
| Infotainment display | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apple Carplay and Android Auto | – | ✓ |
| Speakers | 2 | 4 |
| Climate control | Analog | Analog |
| Rear parking camera | – | – |
| Rear parking sensor | – | ✓ |
| Fog lamps | – | ✓ |
| Integrated LED turn signals | – | ✓ |
| Rear headlights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front headlights | Halogen | Halogen |
| High mounted brake lamp | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hill Hold Assist | – | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Retractable side view mirrors | – | ✓ |
| Auto-adjustable side view mirrors | – | ✓ |
As can be seen, the Indian WagonR beats its Pakistani counterpart by a mile.
Pakistani Suzuki Wagon R has a good fuel economy of 14-16 Km/L. The fuel average, spacious interior and powerful engine are some of the reasons why it’s so liked in Pakistan.
Fuel Average
Credit: Maruti Suzuki
According to Maruti Suzuki, Indian Wagon R provides a fuel average of 24.4 km/L for its top of the line 1.2L AGS variant.
Price
Here’s the rub.
| Model | Pakistani Wagon R (Rs) | Indian Wagon R (INR) |
| Price | 2,158,000 | 698,000 (1,640,146 PKR) |
The price of the top of the line Indian Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is equal to 1,640,146 PKR by today’s exchange rate. That means we are paying Rs.517,854 extra for something which lacks safety and comfort features. The price difference wouldn’t hurt so much if the Pakistani WagonR was loaded with features. Something Pak Suzuki should take cognizance of, if it wants to continue selling WagonR locally.
Credit: Maruti Suzuki
Did you know Wagon R’s month-on-month sales have fluctuated since July 2021. From December 2021 to January 2022, Pak Suzuki sold 46 percent fewer Wagon R’s.
To know more about the latest car sales numbers in Pakistan, read: 2022 begins on a high note for the auto industry
What do we think of this comparison?
It’s true – Pak Suzuki offers trimmed down versions of what’s offered in our neighboring country. Not only that but the huge price differential hurts the most. This is probably because the company knows that the people have fewer options in the budget car segment. Airbags, ABS with EBD, high-speed alerts and rear parking sensors are standard in Maruti Suzuki Wagon R. However, none of these options are available in locally manufactured Pakistani Suzuki Wagon R.
What do you think should be the price of a Suzuki Wagon R in Pakistan? Does it justify the given price tag of over Rs.2 million? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Thanks for your good but brief comparison of Wagon R Vs Maruti. There seemed Pak Suzuki and its cost/price is only meant to extort money than to provide a real return to its customers. Buyers have left with no choice except to pay for a comparatively of low quality car. It’s a dilemma that govt has no control over it and looked as if they are partisans of this extortion…