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Suzuki eWx: Is this the WagonR EV?

Suzuki has patented the eWX moniker in India. The EV rise in India is a spectacle to behold with Tata, Mahindra and Hyundai fighting for every percent of market share. A notable absentee in this fight is Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest seller of ICE cars. This might not be the case for very long now, as the parent company of Maruti Suzuki, Suzuki Motor Corporation has filed a patent for eWX in India. What will it look like? When is it coming? Let's try to answer these questions.  

The eWX

This is not the first time we have heard the eWX name from Suzuki. It first came to light in the Bangkok International Motor Show where it was showcased as an EV concept. It also made its presence felt in the Japan Mobility Show some months later. It is essentially an electric hatchback that Suzuki puts under the category of a mini-wagon.

We were surprised to see that the patent in India was filed by Suzuki Corporation and not its Indian subsidiary Maruti Suzuki. 

eWX Design

When you look at the eWX, the first car you will be reminded of is the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R. It also has a boxy tallboy like design with similar dimensions. One other way of describing it would be a hatchback that is desperately trying to be an SUV. With its long and flat roof and flattened rear. It has its interesting bits though, on the front and the back. The front has no dedicated headlamps and they are replaced with C-shaped LEDs. The windshield also seems to be curving into the roof. The sides seem pretty plain with no folds or creases. The concept does feature quite unique looking wheels, however, these might not make it into production. The rear matches the front in terms of the C-shaped LEDs and the overall boxy aesthetic. Talking of raw numbers, the eWX is 3,395 mm in length, 1,475 mm in width and 1,620 mm in height. This means it is essentially shorter, narrower and lesser in height than the WagonR. 

eWX Interior

The interior of the eWX seems on a very concept stage as of now. It features a large connected panel in the center that functions as both the digital instrument cluster as well as the infotainment display. The elements are majorly a combination of yellow and white in color. The steering present is a two spoke one with a futuristic appeal. Suzuki has used curved rectangles almost everywhere to go with the appeal of the car. One interesting part is the space ahead of the gear knob between the two seats. Like we have seen in the MG Comet, this space can be used to keep small bags. It also makes it easy to move from the driver seat to the passenger seat and vice versa.

eWX is the Electric WagonR?

There were long standing rumors that Maruti Suzuki is working on the electric version of the WagonR. There were also test mules spotted on roads of the same. This did not go through because of reasons that were not revealed. Considering the eWX also looks similar to the WagonR, it wouldn't be a bad idea for Maruti Suzuki to market it as the WagonR EV. This is just speculation for now however. What is not a speculation is that Maruti Suzuki will enter the EV market with the eVX that we expect to see in the first half of next year. The eWX might come after that in maybe the later half of 2025 or early 2026. When it is released, it will compete with the Citroen eC3, Tata Tiago EV and MG Comet EV.

TopGear Magazine December 2024