The deluxe version of the car VX is priced at Rs 3.84 lakh while the AXversion, an automatic transmission driven variant, would be priced at Rs4.83 lakh, a statement issued here on Tuesday said.

Order taking for the Wagon-R would commence from Wednesday and deliverieswould start within a week.

The Wagon-R with a price of Rs 3.49 lakh, is the most expensive car in theZen segment but may soon become an alternative to the Zen.

The greatest competition to the Wagon-R may come from the Hyundai Santro asthe consumer would weigh "a tall boy versus tall boy". The consumer planningto buy a Zen may shift to either Wagon-R or the Santro.

The launch of the Wagon-R, industry experts pointed out, may have an adverseimpact on the Zen and may lead to a significant drop in the value of theZen.

Maruti Udyog is bound to face tough competition from the foreign playersparticularly Hyundai Santro and Daewoo Matiz. The base model of the Euro-IIcompliant Santro is (ex-showroom) Rs 3.12 lakh and Matiz SD is Rs 3.04 lakh(to be revised).

Another impact on the market which may happen in the next two to three weekswould be the sharp fall in the resale value of the Zen.

According to Jagdish Khattar, MUL managing director, "Wagon-R's competitiveprices underscore Maruti commitment to always provide best value for moneyproducts to the customers. Wagon-R is positioned for leadership in thesegment.''

The Wagon-R is powered by a 1.1 litre, 62 bhp, 16 valve, MPFI engine. Heaterand Air-conditioning system are standard in all variants.

The steering wheel is leather wrapped in VX and AX and the two versions alsocarry unique buzzers for `head lamps on' and `key not removed'. The VX andAX versions also incorporate a stereo with two front speakers. Power windowsand central locking are available in both the versions.