Maruti Suzuki XL5: Here Are All The Details We Have So Far

• Will likely be sold through Nexa dealerships.
• The XL5 is likely to come with a BS6-compliant 1.2-litre K12B petrol engine, other engines could come later.
• Exterior and interior changes will make it more premium than the current Wagon R.
• Likely to be revealed at Auto Expo 2020.

Maruti Suzuki Nexa is India’s third-largest automotive sales channel, with sales of over 1 million cars in a mere four years. The premium brand is now about to get a new entrant, the Maruti XL5. Just like it did with the 2019 Ertiga and XL6, Maruti will base the XL5 on the 2019 Wagon R. The upcoming vehicle has been spied multiple times since the last month and is likely to be shown at Auto Expo 2020, with updated BS6 petrol engines. Being more premium, this Hyundai Grand i10 and Tata Tiago rival will come at a higher price point than the current Wagon R when launched. Here is a lowdown on all we know and can expect from the XL5 hatchback.

Spy shots of the fully disguised XL5 show LED taillamps and an LED high-mounted brake light. The car is expected to have LED headlamps and DRLs like other Nexa cars, if only as an option. At the front, changes to the grille and bumper are currently under wraps. The XL5 seems to have high LED brows and lower headlamps to keep up with current design trends seen in the Hyundai Venue and other popular cars. It will finally have alloy wheels, which were not available as a factory option on the Wagon R. Test mules of the XL5 have been spied with the Ignis’ eight-spoke alloy wheels, but the final design may be different.

The interiors have not been spied but the XL5 cabin is expected to be updated to a more upmarket aesthetic. The Wagon R had Maruti Suzuki’s Smartplay system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but it only had two speakers. The XL5 is likely to be equipped with the latest Smartplay Studio and four speakers. Automatic climate control and automatic headlamps are also expected to be available on top trims. The addition of an armrest would surely make the XL5 a comfortable Maruti for daily driving. 

Maruti Suzuki’s trusty BS6-compliant K12B 1.2-litre engine is expected to power the XL5. The company may also have variants with the more powerful 1.2-litre Dualjet engine while reserving the BS6-compliant version of the K10B 1.0-litre engine for the Wagon R. However until we know the fate of the Wagon R in the BS6 era, we cannot be certain.

The premium Wagon R will compete with the likes of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Tata Tiago, and Ford Figo. Prices for the current 1.2-litre Wagon R start from Rs 5.1 lakh and go all the way to Rs 5.91 lakh for the ZXI AGS variant. The XL5 will surely command a premium over these numbers. Prices are expected to be in the range of Rs 5.5 lakh and may stray close to the Rs 7-lakh mark for the top-spec automatic variant. The XL5 is likely to be priced parallel to the Maruti Suzuki Swift. 

Image source: Gaadi Waadi