Among the most popular hatchbacks of India, over 40,000 units of the Wagon Rs have been recalled by Maruti Suzuki today. The voluntary recall campaign, however, is only issued for the 1.0-litre petrol engine variants of the car. Hence, if you own the latest 1.2 litre model of the tallboy hatchback, your car is unaffected by the issue for which the recall has been announced. To let you know, recall campaigns are undertaken globally by manufacturers to rectify faults that may be potential safety defects and affect or endanger the vehicle’s functioning.
To be precise, the manufacturer will inspect 40,618 vehicles of WagonR 1.0 litre for a possible issue of fuel hose fouling with metal clamp. The recall has been made for vehicles manufactured between 15th November 2018 and 12th August 2019. Hence, if you bought a WagonR 1.0 litre model between this timeline, your car may be affected by the said issue. Further, one can also visit Maruti’s website, go to the ‘Important Customer Info tab’ and fill in the chassis number (MA3 followed by 14 digit alpha-numeric number) on the computer screen to check if their vehicle needs any attention.
For the uninitiated, the chassis number of your Wagon R is embossed on the vehicle ID plate and is also in the vehicle’s invoice/registration documents. Maruti Suzuki dealers will also contact the owners of the affected Wagon R models to inform them about the same, starting 24th of August. The company stated that the dealerships will inspect and replace the faulty parts free of cost. Such recalls have been made by Maruti Suzuki several times in past too. Last February, a recall was issued for Baleno models to get the Actuator Assembly ABS software inspected and updated.
A similar recall was issued last year in May for 52,686 Units of the new Swift And Baleno to fix a faulty brake vacuum hose. Often, the issues are minor but automakers take steps to rectify them to avoid any future complications. However, there have been several large scale recalls for pretty serious internationally when a fault was discovered.
Talking about Maruti Suzuki, the brand recently launched a more premium version of the Ertiga MPV in India. Called the XL6 it is aimed at those who want a more luxurious and premium option of the Ertiga without spending a fortune. Prices for the XL6 start at Rs 9.72 lakh and go all the way up to Rs. 11.46 lakh for the top-end Alpha AT variant. It is powered by the same 1.5-litre petrol unit that does duty on the Ertiga. This engine employs mild-hybrid SHVS technology and churns out 105 Bhp and 138 Nm of torque. Another major highlight of this MPV is the presence of captain seats in the middle row, which is a first for any Maruti MPV in India.