Snapshot – The Ertiga MPV, although an un-glamorous product has done well for Maruti Suzuki, and the Indian automaker has tasted its first success in the 7 lakh rupees + segment. The Ertiga’s success seems to have inspired Maruti Suzuki to take a closer look at the premium car segment in India. Maruti Suzuki will launch four new premium products across segments in the next 24 months, with the first of the “premium quartet” arriving as early as this year’s festive season. CarToq takes a look at Maruti Suzuki’s premium quartet of cars and what each car brings to the table.

Ciaz C-Segment Sedan

Much has been said about the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz (code-named YL1) C-Segment sedan over the past few months. The car is due for launch in India this festive season. The car will replace the SX4 sedan and Maruti Suzuki is pinning its hope on the Ciaz giving its glory in the C-Segment class, a segment that it has never been able to crack. The Ciaz is close to an official launch in China, where it will be sold under the Alivio brand name as a petrol-only sedan.

In India, the car will come with petrol (1.4 liter K-Series) and turbo diesel (1.3 Liter Fiat Multijet) engines. With dimensions of  4,545 mm in length, 1,730 mm in width, 1,475 mm in height and a 2,650 mm wheelbase, the Ciaz promises to be one of the largest C-Segment sedans in the country, larger than even the 2014 Honda City. Generous dimensions, a decent feature set, a reliable set of engines and sharp pricing will give the Ciaz, and Maruti Suzuki yet another shot at C-Segment glory. 

S-Cross Crossover

The S-Cross crossover (code-named YAD) was showcased alongside the Ciaz at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. However, the official launch of the crossover will happen only in early 2015, nearly a year after its initial unveil. The S-Cross is expected to be priced and positioned above the likes of the Ford EcoSport and the Renault Duster compact SUVs in India, as a rival to the Mahindra XUV500. The S-Cross is expected to be priced at 14 lakh rupees.

The S-Cross will be sold with a 1.6 liter turbo diesel engine even as confusion reigns on whether Peugeot or Fiat will supply this motor. A six speed manual gearbox is likely to be standard on the front wheel driven crossover, which also gets an all wheel drive layout in developed car markets. Though the S-Cross comes with a 1.6 liter petrol engine, the petrol motor might not be offered on the Indian version given the poor demand for petrol powered SUVs in this part of the world.

YRA B+ Segment Hatchback

Maruti Suzuki is developing a B+ segment hatchback code-named the YRA that will sit above the best selling Swift. The YRA hatchback is expected to be Maruti Suzuki’s answer to the likes of the upcoming Honda Jazz and the 2015 Hyundai i20 premium hatchbacks. The YRA will be larger than the Swift in terms of dimensions and interior volume, and will also offer more features and creature comforts. An early 2016 debut is likely for the YRA.

Other details of the car remain unknown at this point in time apart from sketchy details about its engines. Both the petrol and diesel powered engines of the YRA premium hatchback are expected to be turbocharged. The petrol engine is expected to be a 1 liter-3 cylinder turbocharged unit while the diesel motor will be picked from Suzuki’s new range of turbo diesel motors that are currently under development. 

XA Alpha Compact SUV

The XA Alpha compact SUV has been quite a while in the making, ever since Maruti Suzuki first showcased it in concept form at the 2010 Indian Auto Expo. The production version of the SUV will finally arrive into India in 2016 as Maruti Suzuki’s EcoSport challenger. The sub-4 meter SUV is expected to receive a turbo diesel engine from Suzuki’s new crop of diesel motors.

The XA Alpha will be a five seater and prices are expected to range between 6-9 lakh rupees. The pricing levels will position the new Maruti SUV bang in the volumes territory. The XA Alpha will mark Maruti Suzuki’s maiden, albeit late entry into India’s fast growing compact SUV sector and the automaker will be hoping for big volumes. The XA Alpha is code-named the YBA and is expected to hit the Indian roads on testing duties shortly.

Via TheEconomicTimes