Suzuki Motors showcased the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) Carry at the ongoing 35th Bangkok Motor Show. The Carry LCV for Bangkok gets certain aesthetic upgrades and comes with a 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 92 BHP and 127 Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. India on the other hand gets the Eeco multi-purpose vehicle based on the older Carry platform. With Maruti Suzuki planning its foray in the commercial vehicle segment, the Carry will form the basis for the Indian LCV codenamed Y9T.
The upcoming Y9T pickup LCV will be powered by the 1.2-litre petrol engine also powering the Eeco in India. The engine is capable of running on alternative fuel options such as LPG and CNG; however, the real show stealer will be the all-new 800cc diesel engine that is currently being developed by Suzuki Japan and Maruti Suzuki India. While the power figures are unknown, we do know that the engine will be tuned to produce a higher torque band in order to haul the extra payload. The LCV is expected to have a carriage capacity of 600 kgs.
The Y9T LCV will be competing with the current market leader Tata Ace and Ashok Leyland Dost in the segment. Maruti Suzuki offers the cargo versions of the Omni and Eeco models, but the Y9T LCV will be the company’s full-fledged launch in the commercial vehicle space. Even though commercial vehicle owners are known to opt for tried and tested products, the Maruti Suzuki badge will surely help the company get a head start in the market.
The Y9T diesel variant is expected to be priced around Rs. 4 lakhs, while the 1.2-litre CNG variants will be priced around Rs. 4.5-5 lakhs. The diesel engine is also very crucial for Maruti’s small passenger cars that could also be powered by the newly developed 800cc engine. The company has high expectations from the all-new LCV that could be a game changer for the segment and the company. Maruti plans to launch the Y9T LCV in 2015.
