Maruti Suzuki S-Cross to be launched in January 2015

Maruti's highly awaited crossover will make its debut by the end of January and will be available with both petrol and diesel options.

Maruti Suzuki’s highly awaited crossover, the S-Cross will be launched in India in the last week of January 2015. The S-Cross will cater to the hot and highly lucrative crossover market followed later by the equally awaited Maruti XA Alpla mini-SUV that is expected by the end of 2015. The Maruti-Suzuki S-Cross will be available with both a petrol and a diesel option with alternative fuel versions planned subsequently.

The S-Cross, based on the Suzuki S4 platform has been available in the European and American market for a while now and has seen moderate success with its no-nonsense appeal. The S-Cross takes on the likes of the Renault Duster and the Ford Ecosport and will employ a similar front wheel drive formula as the latter.

Although not a thoroughbred SUV, the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross does employ an SUV-esque styling cue with its bold proportions and plastic claddings. The S-Cross feature a sporty front guard combined with a rear bumper cladding that helps accentuating its higher ground clearance. Inside, the car will have a spacious cabin with a capacity to seat five individuals, along with a generous boot. The interior design will be similar to the existing Maruti range using the black-and-grey combination highlighted with brush metal accents.

In Europe, the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is available with a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine which produces 120PS of peak power and 156Nm of peak torque. The S-Cross also gets a 1.6-liter diesel engine with 120PS and 320Nm of torque. Where the petrol is mated to a tried and tested 5-speed gearbox, the diesel motor is mated to a rather more practical 6-speed gearbox option. We expect these engines to be retained or be replaced by the 1.4-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre diesel motors that do duty in the Ertiga. The Suzuki S-Cross also comes equipped with an optional four-wheel-drive system, along with a four driving modes. We doubt if Maruti will launch these features in India. In a price sensitive country like ours, Maruti may introduce just the two-wheel-drive option and may introduce these later on in its top-of-the-line variants to keep the sales momentum going.

The Maruti S-Cross will be the company’s first crossover in India and to be priced under Rs 10 lakh for maximum impact against players like the Ecosport and the Renault Duster

source:-http://www.zigwheels.com