Key highlights
- Maruti Suzuki introduces a factory-approved swivel seat option on the WagonR to aid senior citizens and persons with disabilities
- The swivel seat is available as a retrofit kit at Arena dealerships across 11 cities as part of a pilot project
- Developed with startup TRUEAssist, the solution keeps the original seat intact and installs in about an hour
Maruti Suzuki has taken a meaningful step towards inclusive mobility in India. The company has introduced a swivel seat option for the WagonR. This move aims to make daily car travel easier for senior citizens and people with disabilities, without turning accessibility into a niche or luxury feature.
Design
The swivel seat has been designed to simplify ingress and egress. At the press of a control, the front passenger seat rotates outward, allowing occupants to sit down comfortably before swinging back into position. It sounds simple, but for many families, this can be the difference between independence and dependence.
What makes this initiative stand out is its execution. Maruti Suzuki has not replaced the original seat or altered the car’s structure. Instead, the swivel mechanism integrates with the existing WagonR seat. Installation takes roughly an hour, which means minimal downtime for owners. The kit comes with a three-year warranty against manufacturing defects, offering some peace of mind.
Availability
The project is currently live in over 200 Maruti Suzuki Arena dealerships across 11 cities. Customers can opt for the swivel seat on a new WagonR or retrofit it to existing cars sold after 2019. This pilot rollout will expand further based on customer response, and knowing how popular the WagonR is, that response could be loud and clear.
Maruti Suzuki has partnered with Bengaluru-based startup TRUEAssist Technology under its startup incubation program with NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore. The collaboration blends grassroots innovation with mass-market scale. TRUEAssist brings the assistive technology know-how, while Maruti brings reach, trust, and service support.
Safety
Safety has not been treated as an afterthought. The swivel seat kit has undergone testing at ARAI and complies with required safety standards. Importantly, installation does not involve cutting or modifying the vehicle’s structure. That matters in a country where jugaad often passes for innovation. This is not that.
The WagonR itself is a logical choice for this initiative. Its tall-boy design already makes entry and exit easier than most low-slung hatchbacks. Adding a swivel seat builds on an existing strength rather than forcing a solution where it does not belong. With the WagonR consistently ranking among India’s top-selling cars, Maruti Suzuki is effectively making accessibility mainstream.
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