Are taxi fleets the only people who will use the Maruti Tour H2, which is essentially a rebadged WagonR?

Question

In fact, the Maruti Tour H2 is being marketed as an exclusively commercial vehicle, especially for taxi services. And while we don’t think it looks all that great, many automotive enthusiasts and potential buyers have noticed striking similarities between the Tour H2 and the popular WagonR model. This has prompted questions if the new Dzhina is a cosmetic redo of an existing model to woo a new market audience. Questions are also raised in relation to the modifications for commercial use, pricing strategy and whether this method is an advantage or disadvantage to taxi operators and passengers alike. On one side, some think a proven platform like WagonR makes sense for reliability and cost effectiveness, others believe a purpose built commercial vehicle will be more appropriate for the demanding requirements of taxi services.

@saket-jha · Accepted Answer

In fact, I prefer to ride in a Tour H2 than some purpose built taxis, as someone who uses taxis frequently. I feel more like a passenger in a personal car which is more comfortable for me.

@awadhesh-n · Answer

You're all missing the point. The problem with this approach, however, is that it stifles innovation in the commercial vehicle space. If we’re not able to get manufacturers to build truly optimized taxis or urban mobility solutions, we’re never going to see that.

@saket-jha · Answer

I think it's a win-win. Taxi operators get a reliable, easy to maintain, fuel efficient car with parts that are easy to find, while Maruti gets to expand their market without much investment. It’s also a familiar, comfortable ride for passengers.

@saket-jha · Answer

I was a taxi driver myself, and I can say that using a car adapted from the consumer market is not a good idea. What we need are vehicles purpose built for commercial use — more durable, more maintainable, with features tailored to taxi operations.

@rishi-seth · Answer

In reality, it's Maruti's cost cutting move. Through this, they are saving on R&D and production costs as they will just be repurposing an existing model. I am not sure it is the best solution for taxi drivers or passengers, but it’s smart business.

@nimish-rai · Answer

I disagree. It's based on the WagonR, but to label it as just a rebadge does not do justice to the changes Maruti has made. That means they probably rebuilt the suspension to be even more rugged, modified the engine to last longer, and maybe even used different interior material to take the abuse.

@krishna-bo · Answer

It's definitely a rebadged WagonR, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Taxi operators would know that the WagonR is a very reliable and fuel efficient car. Maybe Maruti did a bit of tweaking to make it more robust for commercial use.

Are taxi fleets the only people who will use the Maruti Tour H2, which is essentially a rebadged WagonR?

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