Suzuki S-Cross prices could start from `8.2 lakh

Maruti Suzuki’s next launch in the Indian market, the S-Cross is all set to become the company’s latest luxury product when it launches sometime in mid-July.

The vehicle which is largely based on the SX4 platform is expected to give stiff competition to the now dwindling Renault Duster, ever successful Mahindra Scorpio, the premium Nissan Terrano, the upcoming massive launch from Hyundai, the Creta and even the Mahindra XUV500 up to some extent.

The Indian car manufacturer is currently able to sell about five cars every two minutes and is confident about its mass market products. However, the same cannot be said about its performance in the premium segment because the Kizashi, Grand Vitara and SX4 all performed rather poorly when compared to their competition.

Even the recently launched Ciaz has not been able to find as many buyers as the Honda City, even though the sedan offers many segment leading features. But, market share in the premium segment is increasing day by day and Maruti Suzuki needs to find a strong foothold in the same league.

The upcoming S-Cross crossover will help the company in this regard and is expected to have a starting price tag of around Rs. 8.2 lakhs (ex-showroom). It is all set to become the brand’s most expensive product to go on sale, after the Kizashi and Grand Vitara though.

The S-Cross is already available in the international car markets like Australia and Europe and the vehicle there is measured at 4300 mm in length, 1765 mm in width and 1580 mm in height. The ground clearance of the Indian model is expected to be more than the international standard of 170 mm.

It has been confirmed that the vehicle will be powered by a 1.4-litre petrol engine and a 1.6-litre diesel mill, which will be sourced from Fiat till the time the company rolls out its locally manufactured 1.5-litre diesel unit by 2017.