Maruti WagonR Adds Swivel Seat for Easier Access

Maruti Suzuki just made the WagonR a lot more accessible. The company's now offering an optional swivel seat designed to help seniors and people with mobility challenges get in and out more easily. It's a straightforward upgrade that addresses a real problem many drivers and passengers face every day.

What's New and How It Works

The swivel seat rotates outward, cutting down the physical effort needed to slide into or out of the car. Maruti developed this accessory with Bengaluru startup TRUEAssist Technology, and it's currently rolling out to more than 200 Arena dealerships across 11 cities. The company plans to expand availability over the coming months.

Here's what makes it practical: The seat comes as a retrofit kit, so you can add it to a brand-new WagonR or bolt it onto one you already own. Installation takes about an hour, and there's no cutting or permanent changes to the car's structure. That matters if you're concerned about resale value or just don't want to mess with the original setup. Maruti also put the kit through ARAI testing to meet safety and regulatory standards, and it's backed by a three-year warranty.

If you've ever watched an older family member struggle with the awkward twist-and-drop move of getting into a hatchback, this solves that. The seat swivels out, they sit down facing the doorway, then rotate back into position. Simple, but genuinely helpful.

WagonR Lineup Overview

The WagonR remains one of Maruti's volume sellers, available in four trims: LXi, VXi, ZXi, and ZXi+. Equipment levels vary depending on which engine and gearbox combo you pick, but you can get six airbags across the range, which is solid for this segment.

Standard features include a 7-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, four-speaker audio, and steering-mounted controls. Higher trims add 14-inch alloys, dual-tone paint, and power-folding mirrors. The cabin's got a two-tone layout that livens things up a bit, though it's still very much function-first.

Engine Options and Efficiency

Maruti offers two petrol engines in the WagonR. The smaller 1.0-liter three-cylinder K10C makes 66 hp and 89 Nm of torque, while the 1.2-liter four-cylinder K12C bumps that up to 88 hp and 113 Nm. Both come standard with a five-speed manual, and you can opt for a five-speed AMT if you want an automatic.

There's also a CNG version using the 1.0-liter engine. On petrol, it produces 64 hp and 89 Nm, but that drops to 56 hp and 82.1 Nm when running on CNG. It's manual-only, which is typical for factory CNG setups in India.

Fuel economy's competitive: The 1.0-liter manual delivers 24.35 kmpl, while the AMT nudges that to 25.19 kmpl. The 1.2-liter returns 23.56 kmpl with the manual and 24.43 kmpl with the AMT. If you're doing a lot of city driving, those numbers add up over time.

Why This Matters

Image source: gaadiwaadi

Maruti's move here isn't flashy, but it's smart. India's got a rapidly aging population, and mobility aids in mainstream cars are still pretty rare. By offering this as an official accessory rather than leaving buyers to hunt down third-party solutions, Maruti's making life easier for a segment of drivers who've been largely overlooked.

The WagonR's tall-boy design already makes it easier to get in and out compared to low-slung sedans, but the swivel seat takes that a step further. If you're shopping for a family car and need something that works for an elderly parent or someone recovering from surgery, this is worth considering. It's a small thing that makes a real difference in day-to-day use.

We'll keep an eye on how widely this rolls out and whether other manufacturers follow suit.