India-made Maruti S-Cross makes its debut

The made-in-India Suzuki SX4 S-Cross (called as Maruti S-Cross in India) is in attendance at the 2016 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show that is currently underway.

It will be interesting to see how the compact crossover would fare in a country which clearly loves its MPVs. Compact people carriers like Toyota Avanza and Daihatsu Xenia have been dominating the market for several years.

The S-Cross that debuted at the show is a pre-facelift version with India-spec front fascia. We expect the new front end when the vehicle goes on sale in Indonesia.

Though the S-Cross for Indonesia will be shipped from India, it will feature neither of the diesel engines that are available in our market. Instead, it will be powered by 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is tuned to produce 109 PS and 138 Nm of torque. The motor is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic transmission.

In Indonesia, the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross will compete with the likes of Renault Duster which is also sourced from India. The crossover will be positioned as a more premium alternative to sedans which are synonymous with taxis in Indonesia. Feature highlights include paddle shifter for AT, cruise control, rain sensing wiper, HID lamp with LED DRLs, 7-inch infotainment system, keyless start with push button, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, etc.

Considering that the Indian market is also steadily tilting towards petrol powered vehicles, the petrol S-Cross is expected to be eventually introduced in India as well.

This article first appeared on Rushlane.com