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Homegrown automaker Maruti Suzuki India Limited, on Tuesday, announced the launch of the WagonR with an option of swivel seat, marking a step toward providing accessible mobility for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
According to India's largest automaker, the swivel seat is designed to make vehicle ingress and egress easier for elderly passengers and people with limited mobility. The company said the initiative aims to make inclusive mobility available in the mass passenger vehicle segment.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Swivel seat will make daily travel more convenient for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. WagonR is among the top 10 selling models in India and is ideal to offer this accessibility feature to a wider audience.”
The launch is being carried out as a pilot project with the WagonR in 11 cities through more than 200 Maruti Suzuki Arena dealerships. Maruti Suzuki claims that the project will be expanded in the future based on customer response.
Customers can order the swivel seat as a retrofit kit at Arena dealerships. The seat can be installed in new WagonR models or retrofitted in existing vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki said the WagonR was selected for the initiative because of its Tall Boy design, which offers higher headroom and legroom and supports easier ingress and egress.
The WagonR is among India’s top-selling passenger vehicles, and the company said offering the accessibility feature on a high-volume model would help make such solutions more mainstream.
The initiative draws inspiration from the Suzuki Group’s corporate slogan “By Your Side” and aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 10, which focuses on reducing inequality.
For the project, Maruti Suzuki has partnered with Bengaluru-based startup TRUEAssist Technology Private Limited under its startup incubation programme with NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore. TRUEAssist has developed the assistive swivel seat technology being offered with the WagonR.
Naina Padaki, Founder of TRUEAssist Technology Private Limited, said, “We are truly pleased to collaborate with India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, to bring our assistive mobility solution to a wider audience.”
Maruti Suzuki said the WagonR swivel seat kit has undergone safety testing at the Automotive Research Association of India and complies with required safety standards. The installation is carried out without modifying the vehicle’s structure or core functioning. The swivel seat is offered with a three-year warranty.
According to India's largest automaker, the swivel seat is designed to make vehicle ingress and egress easier for elderly passengers and people with limited mobility. The company said the initiative aims to make inclusive mobility available in the mass passenger vehicle segment.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Swivel seat will make daily travel more convenient for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. WagonR is among the top 10 selling models in India and is ideal to offer this accessibility feature to a wider audience.”
Maruti Suzuki WagonR with optional swivel seat.
The launch is being carried out as a pilot project with the WagonR in 11 cities through more than 200 Maruti Suzuki Arena dealerships. Maruti Suzuki claims that the project will be expanded in the future based on customer response.
Customers can order the swivel seat as a retrofit kit at Arena dealerships. The seat can be installed in new WagonR models or retrofitted in existing vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki said the WagonR was selected for the initiative because of its Tall Boy design, which offers higher headroom and legroom and supports easier ingress and egress.
The WagonR is among India’s top-selling passenger vehicles, and the company said offering the accessibility feature on a high-volume model would help make such solutions more mainstream.
Optional swivel seat offered in Maruti Suzuki WagonR.
The initiative draws inspiration from the Suzuki Group’s corporate slogan “By Your Side” and aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 10, which focuses on reducing inequality.
For the project, Maruti Suzuki has partnered with Bengaluru-based startup TRUEAssist Technology Private Limited under its startup incubation programme with NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore. TRUEAssist has developed the assistive swivel seat technology being offered with the WagonR.
Naina Padaki, Founder of TRUEAssist Technology Private Limited, said, “We are truly pleased to collaborate with India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, to bring our assistive mobility solution to a wider audience.”
Maruti Suzuki said the WagonR swivel seat kit has undergone safety testing at the Automotive Research Association of India and complies with required safety standards. The installation is carried out without modifying the vehicle’s structure or core functioning. The swivel seat is offered with a three-year warranty.
