Maruti Suzuki India has launched an all-new swivel seat for the Wagon R that would be an aid to senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. This has been done under a pilot project launched with the Wagon R in 11 cities. If the response to the new feature is positive, it would be expanded further.
Maruti Suzuki Collaboration
To bring this initiative to fruition, Maruti Suzuki has collaborated with TRUEAssist Technology Private Limited, a startup based in Bangalore, as a part of its startup incubation program in conjunction with NSRCEL-IIM Bangalore. If the feature is received well, the seat will soon be available as an option to be fitted onto new Wagon R models. Through this initiative, the company aims to enhance accessibility for a broad range of customers.
Why Wagon R Has Been Chosen for the Project
The Wagon R seems to be the perfect choice for the pilot project as it has a tall-boy design with ample headroom and legroom. The swivel seat allows for easy ingress and egress. As per Suzuki, the installation of the seat will take less than an hour, and the customer will not have to replace the original seat. Beyond that, the customer will also get a 3-year warranty against any manufacturing defect. The swivel seat has been subjected to testing by ARAI and has been able to meet the necessary safety standards. The installation process is performed without altering the vehicle’s structure or any of its fundamental operations.
Ease of access for senior citizens
Commenting on the initiative, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said the swivel seat is aimed at making everyday mobility easier for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. He highlighted that the Wagon R, being among India’s top 10 best-selling models, is the ideal platform to offer such an accessibility feature at scale. According to Takeuchi, the move reflects Maruti Suzuki’s vision of inclusive mobility and its commitment to customer-focused solutions that promote dignity, independence, and confidence, while staying true to the brand’s philosophy of delivering the Joy of Mobility to a wider audience.
Speaking about the collaboration, Naina Padaki, Founder of TRUEAssist Technology Private Limited, said the partnership with Maruti Suzuki enables assistive mobility solutions to reach a much broader customer base. She added that working closely with Maruti Suzuki’s R&D team has been a rewarding experience, noting their strong customer-centric approach. Padaki emphasized that integrating the swivel seat technology into a mass-market model like the Wagon R will help make inclusive mobility a mainstream reality for families across India.
