The India spec Maruti S-Cross gets mild tweaks over the overseas version and offers a spacious cabin, complimented by the new Fiat sourced 1.6-litre diesel motor.
The compact SUV space has just seen the arrival of a new contender as Maruti Suzuki has officially launched the much awaited S-Cross in the country with prices starting at Rs. 8.34 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Badged as a premium crossover by the company, the S-Cross is the most expensive Maruti to go on sale in India and will see the automaker rival a host of offerings. With the S-Cross, the automaker is taking a completely new approach towards marketing its product that breaks into the Rs. 10+ lakh barrier.
Design – Based on the SX4 S-Cross sold in Europe, the India spec Maruti S-Cross gets subtle revisions with a twin-slat chrome grille and revised bumper. While the overall stance may not be as butch as its rivals, you do get silver finished faux skid plates at the front and rear, roof rails as well as black body cladding for a rugged appeal. The premium crossover rides on 16-inch alloy wheels for the top-end trim and comes with a ground clearance of 180 mm. The crossover is available in 5 colour options – blue, grey, silver, brown and white.
Interiors – The Maruti S-Cross features an all-black cabin with brushed silver inserts all around that not only look premium but offer impressive quality levels. However, the switches come from smaller Maruti offerings and is the only downside here. The crossover is a 5-seater and gets armrests at the front and rear. The boot capacity stands at 353-litres that can be expanded up to 810-litres with the rear seats folded. The seats get upholstered in faux leather that extends to the multi-function steering wheel.
Coming to features, the 2015 S-Cross comes loaded with HID projector headlamps, LED DRLs, illumination control, rain sensing wiper, reverse parking sensors with camera and MID unit with trip meter, fuel consumption and outside temperature display. Also available on the top-end variants are features like keyless GO, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with navigation, smartphone integration, auto headlamps, automatic climate control, cruise control, electrically retractable ORVMs and push button start. The 6-speaker audio system comes with voice commands and offers Bluetooth, USB and AUX connectivity.
Engines – Coming to the powertrain, the 2015 Maruti S-Cross is being offered with two diesel engine options that include –
* 1.3-litre 4-cylinder DDiS engine produces 90 PS and 200 Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
* 1.6-litre 4-cylinder DDiS engine produces 120 PS and 320 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Maruti is not offering an automatic transmission on the S-Cross at present, nor is All-Wheel Drive (AWD) being offered.
Safety – Maruti has loaded 7 out of 8 variants of the S-Cross with ABS and dual airbags as standard, whereas the base Sigma variant gets a driver side airbag as standard.
Fuel Efficiency – Available with two engines, the S-Cross returns an ARAI certified fuel efficiency figures of –
* 1.3 DDiS 200 – 23.65 km/l
* 1.6 DDiS 320 – 22.7 km/l
Maruti Suzuki has taken a completely new marketing approach with its new premium product and has established new NEXA dealerships across major cities that will be exclusively retailing the S-Cross in the country. At present, Maruti has inaugurated 75 NEXA showrooms in 23 cities that will be extended to 100 outlets by the end of 2015. The company is looking to expand its sales target to over 2 million units in the domestic market by 2020 and has planned 25 models for launch in the premium space.
Make sure to check out our 2015 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross Review HERE.
Maruti S-Cross 1.3-litre Diesel Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* S-Cross 1.3 DDiS 200 Sigma – Rs. 8,34,000/-
* S-Cross 1.3 DDiS 200 Delta – Rs. 9,15,000/-
* S-Cross 1.3 DDiS 200 Zeta – Rs. 9,99,000/-
* S-Cross 1.3 DDiS 200 Alpha – Rs. 10,75,000/-
Maruti S-Cross 1.6-litre Diesel Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* S-Cross 1.6 DDiS 320 Delta – Rs. 11,99,000/-
* S-Cross 1.6 DDiS 320 Zeta – Rs. 12,99,000/-
* S-Cross 1.6 DDiS 320 Alpha – Rs. 13,74,000/-
The prices are introductory.
