With the growing demand for compact SUVs and crossovers, car manufacturers are preparing their products to gain more market. India’s largest car manufacturer Maruti is also aiming to capitalize on the growing popularity of SUVs in the country. The company will launch two SUVs in 2015 including SX4 S-Cross and the XA Alpha based compact SUV. The S-Cross SX4 is likely to go on sale in the January 2015.
If media reports are to be believed, Maruti has started working on the XA Alpha based compact SUV. The compact SUV is reportedly to go on sale in the market by the end of 2015. Unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Motor Show, the sub-4 metre SUV is designed specifically for the Indian market. The product is expected to get more modern exterior styling; however, interior components will see a sharing with other Maruti’s to keep cost down. This sub-4 metre SUV will use the Swift’s 1.2-litre K12 petrol and the all-new 1.5-litre diesel engine from Fiat.
The SX4 S-Cross Crossover is the attempt from Maruti to mark their presence in the premium car segments. The company failed to capture any ground in premium segment, and its products including Kizashi, SX4 and Vitara have never tasted success in India. Now, the Indo-Japan brand is aiming to gain some momentum in the premium segment with the launch of much-anticipated crossover. Unveiled at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, the S-Cross SX4 will be priced over Rs. 10 lakh and will rival against the likes of Nissan Terrano and Mahindra XUV500. It is expected to come in diesel version only with two powertrain options- a 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre Multi-Jet diesel motors.
