Maruti Suzuki is reportedly developing a three-row SUV codenamed Y17 and it could compete against Alcazar, Safari and Hector Plus
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is gearing up to launch a number of new products in the near future. Over the last four months, the largest carmaker in the country introduced the new-gen Celerio, Celerio CNG, updated WagonR and the heavily updated Baleno. The second-generation Brezza will more likely debut by the middle of this year while the updated Ertiga and XL6 are also in the works.
It must be noted that an all-new midsize SUV developed in association with Toyota will be launched later this year as well and a Baleno-based crossover could be brought in next year. The partnership between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota will also give rise to a series of future electric vehicles as a midsize zero-emission SUV will come by 2025.
While the Indo-Japanese manufacturer will look to strengthen its future with a series of EVs, the ICE portfolio will be bolstered as well as you can observe from the aforementioned launches. Maruti Suzuki is widely reported to launch a three-row SUV by 2024 or 2025 and it has been internally codenamed Y17. It will act as a rival to the seven-seater midsize SUVs.
More specifically, the Maruti Suzuki Y17 will compete against Hyundai Alcazar derived from Creta, Tata Safari derived from Harrier and MG Hector Plus derived from Hector. The details surrounding the three-row flagship are scarce at the moment but it will more likely sit on the lightweight fifth-generation Ertiga platform.
It could act as a replacement to the XL6 – the more premium version of the Ertiga with a middle row captain seating arrangement. Just as its competitors, the midsize SUV could be sold in both six- and seven-seater configurations enabling an extensive range. It could boast a larger touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control and headlamps, SmartPro+ connectivity features, etc.
As for the performance, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an improved hybrid system could be incorporated in the upcoming three-row SUV. A six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission (could debut in the new-gen Brezza and updated Ertiga) to likely be the transmission choices but no confirmation has been made yet.