Maruti Suzuki managed to retail 2,098 units of the S-Cross last month, which is significantly more than the older diesel model
India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, has a lot of successful vehicles in its lineup. However, its flagship product, the S-Cross, was never one of those. Previously, the crossover SUV was available with a Fiat-sourced, 1.3-litre, turbocharged diesel engine, but that was discontinued when the BS6 norms kicked in.
Last month, Maruti launched the BS6-compliant S-Cross in the Indian market. The vehicle now has a 1.5-litre ‘K-series’ petrol engine, which generated a maximum power of 105 PS and a peak torque of 138 Nm. It is available with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic. The latter wasn’t previously available on it, and could be one of the reasons for the increased popularity of the S-Cross.
In September 2020, Maruti has recorded a sales figure of 2,098 units for their flagship, which is a 101.73 per cent year-on-year increase (1,040 units sold in September 2019). On a month-on-month basis, the manufacturer has registered degrowth of 13.98 per cent (2,527 units sold in August 2020). Interestingly, the petrol-powered S-Cross is actually more popular than the older diesel model!
Indian buyers, especially in urban areas, are increasingly drawn towards automatic transmissions. The ease of driving an auto, especially in bumper-to-bumper city traffic, makes it an extremely practical option. The SUV gets a mild-hybrid system on-board, which helps improve the fuel economy of the car. Sadly, Maruti hasn’t altered the styling of the S-Cross since 2017, and it feels a little outdated now.
Other features include a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, Suzuki Connect, reverse parking camera, cruise control, automatic climate control, power-operated ORVMs, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start/stop, and auto-dimming IRVM. Rear AC vents and sunroof aren’t available though, not even as an option.
This Maruti crossover is significantly more affordable than its biggest rival, Hyundai Creta. The former is priced from Rs. 8.39 lakh to 12.39 lakh, while the latter ranges from Rs. 9.99 lakh to 17.2 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, New Delhi). That being said, the Creta outsells the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross by a huge margin. It not only has more equipment on offer, but also gets better engines and transmission options, thus making it a better value product overall.