Here are the top six vehicles that Maruti Suzuki is planning to launch this year in the Indian market
Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, has an extensive product portfolio. From entry-level hatchbacks to SUVs and MPVs, the manufacturer has a variety of vehicles on offer in our market. Apart from that, the company has a lot of vehicles lined up for launch in the future.
Although the list of upcoming Maruti vehicles is quite long and extends a few years into the future, there are a few vehicles, slated to arrive this year, for which the anticipation is more than others. Here, we have listed the top six vehicles that Maruti Suzuki is planning to launch in India next year.
1. New-generation Maruti Alto
The new model is expected to be larger in size, thus offering more interior space than the current one, and will be underpinned by the Heartect K platform, which is also present on the S-Presso.
As for the powertrain, we expect the 1.0-litre ‘K10’ motor (67 PS and 90 Nm) to return. The 0.8-litre ‘F8D’ engine of the current Alto, with 48 PS and 69 Nm on tap, might continue to retail on the lower variants. A 5-speed manual gearbox will be offered as standard, and a 5-speed AMT will be available as an option. According to speculation, the new Alto will debut by dec 2021.
2. New-generation Maruti Celerio
Spy pictures of the upcoming next-gen Maruti Suzuki Celerio have also been floating around the internet. The new Celerio will be underpinned by the Heartect platform, and is expected to grow in dimensions compared to the current version. Thus, we expect an improvement in the interior space as well as boot space.
The next-gen Maruti Celerio will continue to be powered by the 1.0L K-series engine (67 PS and 90 Nm), and a 1.2-litre engine (83 PS and 113 Nm) may be available on the higher variants. Transmission options will include a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT. The new Celerio is expected to launch during April-may 2021.
3) Maruti Ciaz Diesel
Maruti Suzuki is planning to re-introduce diesel engines in its lineup very soon. According to speculation, this will be the BS6-compliant version of Maruti’s 1.5-litre DDiS powerplant. In its BS4 avatar, this engine used to develop a peak power of 95 PS and a maximum torque of 225 Nm, and came paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Other than that, we don’t expect the Ciaz to undergo any changes, either mechanically or aesthetically.
4) Next-Gen Maruti Brezza
Maruti is also working on the next-generation version of the Vitara Brezza, which is expected to launch towards the end of 2021. The next-gen model is expected to get strong-hybrid tech, as opposed to the mild-hybrid system available on the current Vitara Brezza.
Also, the Indo-Japanese manufacturer will offer a diesel engine option as well, which will the same one as the upcoming Ciaz diesel. The second-gen Vitara Brezza is being co-developed with Toyota, and the latter will rebadge the vehicle and sell it as the Urban Cruiser in our market.
5. Maruti Ertiga diesel
A few months ago, a test mule of the Maruti Suzuki Tour M (commercial variant of the Ertiga) was spied during testing. The vehicle wasn’t wearing any camouflage and didn’t have visual changes. The changes it sported were of a mechanical nature; the prototype was testing a new diesel engine and gearbox.
The Ertiga diesel is expected to be powered by either a 1.3-litre unit or a 1.5-litre unit, and will come mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Considering that the 1.5L unit offered a 6-speed MT in its BS4 avatar, this seems the more likely choice. The same diesel engine will also make its way into other Maruti vehicles later, like the Brezza and Ciaz.
6. Maruti Wagon-R EV
Maruti Suzuki is also expected to take its first step into the fast-growing electric car market, with the Wagon-R EV. The vehicle has been spied on countless time in India, and speculations about its launch have been floating around the internet for more than 2 years now. The manufacturer had previously stated that it isn’t sure about the viability of an EV as a personal mobility vehicle, which is why the launch has been delayed multiple times.
Maruti has, however, stated that it is planning to launch the Wagon-R EV as a commercial vehicle, targeting fleet operators. As for the specs, not much is known about it, but previous reports claim that the driving range will be around 130 km, which is a respectable driving range for a city commuter.