Maruti S-Presso launching later today: First ‘micro SUV’ from the brand

Later today, Maruti Suzuki will launch the S-Presso in India. The S-Presso is a hatchback styled to look butch, almost like a micro SUV. Maruti Suzuki is expected to position the S-Presso between the Alto and the WagonR in terms of pricing, which is likely to be very competitive. We expect a starting price tag of under Rs. 3 lakhs for the base version of the S-Presso, which means that it will take on the likes of the Renault Kwid and Datsun RediGO. Given the Maruti S-Presso’s styling, the car looks ready to take on the Kwid rather than the Alto. Notably, Renault will launch the facelifted version of the Kwid tomorrow. By the looks of it, the Maruti S-Presso and the Renault Kwid could have an intense rivalry in the coming months. While the Kwid Facelift will continue to offer two engine options, just like the outgoing version, the S-Presso will get a single engine option.

The engine in question is the 1 liter-3 cylinder K-Series petrol with 67 Bhp-90 Nm on tap. This engine will be offered with two gearbox options: 5 speed manual and automated manual (AMT). This engine is known for its refinement and rev-happy nature, and has powered a range of cars including the Alto K10, WagonR and Celerio. On the S-Presso, this engine is expected to be very peppy given the low kerb weight of the car.

The S-Presso weighs just 736 kilograms, which makes it lighter than even the Alto 800. The car uses the HEARTECT platform, which in turn uses high tensile steel extensively. This is the reason why the S-Presso is so light. There won’t be a compromise on safety though as the HEARTECT platform’s high strength steel is specifically meant to keep weight low while maintaining acceptable levels of structural stiffness and rigidity.

The S-Presso will be offered in four trim levels: LXi, LXi+, VXi and VXi+. The AMT option is likely to be offered only on the VXi and VXi+ trims. Top-end trims will receive a SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth music streaming, calling, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The top-end trims will also get an additional passenger airbag as a key safety feature while standard safety features across trims will include a driver’s airbag, ABS, reverse parking sensors, speed alerts, seat belt reminders and ISOFIX child seat mounting points. The car has already begun reaching Maruti Suzuki dealerships across India, and deliveries will begin shortly.