Maruti Suzuki is working on a range of products for the Indian market, which includes mid-life facelifts and derivatives of current cars, as well as brand new models
Maruti Suzuki is currently the biggest manufacturer in India, and has continued to retain the throne for quiet a long time now. The reason for this is the brand’s abundance of budget offerings in the compact segments. However, the Japanese carmaker certainly does not want to settle, and wants to have a larger market share than the current 53.3%. Hence, Maruti Suzuki is working on bringing a host of cars to the Indian market.
The carmaker will soon be launching a total of 7 cars in the market, which includes facelifted models and derivatives of existing cars, and a brand new product as well. Take a read to know more about the upcoming Maruti Suzuki cars in India –
1) Dzire Facelift
We recently reported about the spotting of a mid-life facelifted version of Maruti Suzuki’s highest-selling sedan, the Dzire. While not much is visible in the shot, but we can confirm that the car will be sporting a larger hexagonal front grille, and redesigned fog lamp housing as compared to the pre-facelift model.
We expect some revisions to the rear, and some additional equipment inside the cabin as well. Also, the car will likely be offered with Maruti’s 1.2L Dualjet petrol engine that comes with mild-hybrid tech. It makes 90 PS power and 113 Nm torque as against the 83 PS/113 Nm the current 1.2L unit makes.
2) S-Cross Petrol
The S-Cross is all set to be launched in the Indian market with Vitara Brezza facelift’s BS6-compliant 1.5-litre petrol engine with SHVS mild-hybrid tech, since Maruti had decided to stop producing diesel engines in the Indian market. The said engine belts out 105 PS/138 Nm, and will be coupled to a 5-speed manual gearbox, along with an optional 4-speed AT.
No visual changes will be made to the car, and the petrol S-Cross will be launched in the same guise as it has been sold until now, and was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo last month.
3) Jimny SUV
Ever since the Gypsy was discontinued from India, we have been rooting for Maruti Suzuki to bring the compact three-door off-roader Jimny to the country to take its place. The Japanese carmaker showcased the car in India at this year’s Auto Expo, in order to gauge public response.
While the foreign-spec three-door version will not be practical enough for India, Maruti Suzuki will have to develop a five-door version of the car in order to bring it to the Indian market. It uses the same 1.5L K15B petrol motor as the Vitara Brezza facelift, and will likely be launched in the country next year.
4) New Gen Celerio
The Celerio is yet to get a second-gen model in the country, and it looks like the time has finally come. Maruti Suzuki is apparently working on a new-gen version of the hatchback, which will be launched this year.
While the current-gen Celerio gets a 1.0L petrol engine (69 PS/90 Nm), the new-gen Celerio could be offered with Maruti’s 1.2L K12B motor which currently powers the Swift, Wagon R etc. The said powertrain makes 83 PS max power and 113 Nm peak torque.
5) Next-Gen Alto
Maruti Suzuki recently discontinued the 1.0L petrol Alto K10 from the Indian market, while the 796 cc three-cylinder version of the car marches on. Alto’s very own entry-level sibling S-Presso has made things a little difficult for it, but Maruti Suzuki still managed to sell almost 18,000 units of the hatchback in February 2020.
The undying popularity of the Alto forces Maruti Suzuki to continue selling the car, and it will soon be getting a new-gen model since the current model has started to look dated now.
6) Wagon R Based EV
Maruti Suzuki is planning to launch a mass-market EV in India based on the Wagon R hatchback and even sent out 50 prototypes of the car to be tested in various weathers and terrains across the country in late 2018. However, the launch has been pushed to late 2020, or even early 2021 since the manufacturer believes the project is not yet commercially viable.
7) Swift Hybrid
Maruti Suzuki showcased a hybrid version of the Swift at the 2020 Auto Expo, which came packed with a 1.2L Dualjet K12C petrol powertrain that makes 91 PS and 118 Nm, and is coupled with a 10 kW electric motor, which helps the car deliver a better fuel efficiency as well as run on full-electric mode at low speeds for short distances. Maruti Suzuki is yet to confirm a definite launch date for the Swift Hybrid in the country.