The Suzuki Wagon R is a kei car first introduced in Japan in 1993. The R stands for recreation. It is one of the first cars to use the "tall wagon" design in which the car is designed to be unusually tall with a short bonnet and almost vertical hatchback and sides in order to maximise cabin space while staying within the kei car dimension restrictions. The first generation Wagon R is high, or taller (internally) than the JDM Suzuki Alto sold at the same time (which was the exact same length and width).
1998 saw the introduction of the second-generation Wagon R in Japan, with the Wagon R+ replacing the Wagon R Wide in 1999 - this was brought to Europe in 2000. This is also produced in Esztergom in Hungary and Gurgaon, India. The Opel Agila is a badge engineered version of the Suzuki Wagon R+, also introduced in summer 2000.
A third generation Wagon R was launched in Japan in September 2003 for their 10th Anniversary, but only as a K-car - no oversized version (like the previous Wide and +) was developed in either Japan or Europe. The third generation was facelifted in September 2005.
The forth generation Wagon R was launch in Japan in September 2008 along with 3 varient, Stingray Wagon R, AZ Wagon and AZ Wagon Custom. The main difference between this new generation is bigger door and the absent of the C-pillar of the car. Powertrain options include naturally aspirated and turbocharged 660cc engines with the latter developing an output of 64 HP, matted to a 4-speed automatic, a 5-speed manual or a CVT transmission. As with many other Japanese market models, customers can choose between front-wheel and all-wheel-drive versions.
The Wagon R is the best-selling of 58 models in Japan's Kei class; in 2008 Suzuki expects to produce its three-millionth Wagon R.
In 2000 until 2007, the Wagon R is rebadge as Opel Agila. The Agila was built at a General Motors factory in Gliwice, Poland.
In India, the Wagon R is sold as "Maruti Suzuki WagonR", having Suzuki's 1.1 L F10D petrol engine producing . Also, a new LPG version called DUO has been introduced lately, which runs both on Petrol and LPG.
In Indonesia, the car is called Suzuki Karimun and offered with a 1000 cc and 1300cc petrol engine, whilst in China it forms the base for both the Changhe-Suzuki Beidouxing and Changhe-Suzuki F-MPV.