Maruti Suzuki Versa (2001–2009) Overview: Generations and Which One to Buy
The Maruti Suzuki Versa is a compact van built from 2001 to 2009 with an 82 hp 1.3-litre engine, manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. This overview covers its single generation and which version to look for.
The Maruti Suzuki Versa is a compact van produced from 2001 to 2009 with a single power output of 82 hp. It suits buyers who need a simple, boxy people-carrier with a small-displacement petrol engine, a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, rather than performance or variety — the whole lineup consists of exactly one mechanical configuration.
Maruti Suzuki Versa generations
1 generation (2001–2009)
The first and only generation of the Maruti Suzuki Versa was built from 2001 to 2009 exclusively as a compact van. Every Versa of this generation delivers 82 hp, pairs a manual transmission with front-wheel drive, and the catalog lists just one modification for the entire production run. The sole version is the Maruti Suzuki Versa 1.3 MT (1 generation), powered by a 1298 cc engine producing 82 hp.
That single-modification structure is unusual even for a compact van: there were no automatic options, no all-wheel-drive variants and no alternative engines at any point across the eight production years. Whatever model year you find, the mechanical package is the same — 1298 cc, 82 hp, manual gearbox, front-wheel drive.
Which Maruti Suzuki Versa to buy
- 1.3 MT (1 generation): the only modification offered, with a 1298 cc engine producing 82 hp, manual transmission and front-wheel drive — there is no alternative version to weigh it against.
On the used market the choice reduces to condition and model year within the 2001–2009 window, since every Maruti Suzuki Versa carries the identical 82 hp drivetrain. A later car from the same generation gives you a younger example of exactly the same mechanical package, which keeps the comparison between candidates straightforward.
Summary
The Maruti Suzuki Versa (2001–2009) is a one-configuration compact van: one generation, one body style, one 1298 cc engine rated at 82 hp, one manual gearbox and front-wheel drive only. The Maruti Suzuki Versa 1.3 MT (1 generation) is therefore both the mass version and the entire range. Buyers comparing examples should focus on the individual car rather than the spec sheet, because between 2001 and 2009 the spec sheet never changed.