Exclusive: Ranveer Singh to be brand ambassador for Maruti XL6 (6 seat Ertiga) MPV

CarToq sources reveal that Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh will be the brand ambassador for the upcoming Maruti Suzuki XL6 luxury MPV. The actor was last seen promoting the Ciaz C-Segment sedan, one of Maruti’s luxurious offerings for the Indian market. Ranveer Singh will shoot a commercial for the new XL6 MPV and will also appear on print ads for the new car that is meant specifically for the Indian market. Earlier today, Maruti Suzuki released a sketch of the XL6 luxury MPV, which will be based on the best-selling 2nd generation Ertiga. It’ll be sold from Maruti Suzuki’s NEXA chain of premium car dealerships. The MPV will be launched later this month, and is expected to begin reaching Maruti Suzuki dealerships across India over the next few weeks. It’s likely to be a petrol-only model as Maruti Suzuki is planning to discontinue diesel engined cars by April 2020, when the new Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms come into force.

The XL6 will be a restyled version of the Ertiga and from the looks of it, will resemble the much more expensive Toyota Innova Crysta, at least from some angles. That’s what the sketch of the XL6, released earlier today, indicated. The MPV will be a six seater, offering captain seats for all three rows of passengers, and is intended to be a comfortable, lower priced alternative to the Toyota Innova Crysta. The 2nd generation Ertiga MPV has been well received by the Indian market, with over 50,000 units sold since launch in the second half of last year. Like the Ertiga, the Maruti Suzuki XL6 will be based on the lightweight HEARTECT platform. The 1.5 liter K-Series petrol engine with 104 Bhp-138 Nm outputs is likely to power the new MPV. A mild hybrid powertrain will also be offered with this engine, just like what is the case with the likes of the Ciaz and Ertiga. 5 speed manual and 4 speed torque converter automatic gearboxes are likely to be offered with this engine.

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 will have a revised cabin, with different seats and colour schemes. While the Ertiga gets beige trim, the XL6 will get a black-plum paint scheme throughout the cabin for a more premium look. Notably, even the Toyota Innova Crysta’s higher variants get this colour scheme. The MPV will borrow most other features from the Ertiga, which will serve as a base. A bunch of extra features are likely to be offered on the XL6 in order to justify the premium positioning. In terms of pricing, the new MPV will be pricier than the Ertiga but is expected undercut not just the Innova Crysta but also the Mahindra Marazzo. With the market launch just weeks away, the suspense regarding pricing, actual looks and variants will soon come to an end. Watch this space.