The Indian customers prefer small SUVs rather than sedans for daily commuting. The success of the SUVs like the Ford EcoSport and the Renault Duster has prompted the Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) to enter the fray. In the 2013 Geneva motor show, Suzuki had unveiled a crossover based on Sx4 sedan which is already on sale in European markets.

The S-cross Sx4 was unveiled during the New Delhi auto show 2014. The launch of the SUV is expected to take place early next year. The car is based on the Sx4 sedan which is on sale in India since 2006. In Europe there are 13 variants for the S-cross. In India the prices of the variants are expected to be between Rupees 8 to 13 lakh.

The exterior of the SUV looks different with a three piece grille having the Suzuki logo placed at the centre. The headlamp cluster is a rectangular one with Xenon lamps and LED day time running lamps. The fog lamps will have extra chrome all around. The door handles will be in chrome and the body coloured ORVMs will have turn indicators. A black cladding will run along the base with silver shade under the name plate and the doors. At the back new design tail lamps are expected. Here also a black and silver cladding will be running along the bottom side of the bumper. Instead of roof railings a roof carrier is expected on the S-cross.

The interior of the cabin will be on the lines of the Maruti Swift cabin and the dash done in dual tone. The steering wheel, various gauges and the gear box are located as in the Swift. The drive selector will be an addition in all wheel drive models. The rear seat will be fully foldable one to carry more cargo. The comfort features will include a 2 Din music system, an AC system and steering wheel mounted audio controls. For safety dual front airbags, ABS and EBD, central locking, an engine immobiliser and side impact beams can be expected.

The engine for the petrol variants will be a naturally aspirated 1.6 litre engine with 120 bhp and 156 Nm maximum torque. The diesel ones will have a 1.6 litre turbocharged multi jet engine having 125 bhp and 320 Nm torque. The mileage expected is 16 kmpl for the petrol and 20 kmpl for the diesel variants. The 4310 mm long car will have a ground clearance of 170 mm and a wheel base of 2600 mm.

The S-cross Sx4 will have to face tough competition from the already established rivals like the Renault Duster, the Mahindra Quanto, the Mahindra XUV 500 and the Ford EcoSport.

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