The new Maruti compact SUV will be competing against primarily the Ford EcoSport and is heavily influenced from the iV4 concept that was displayed last year.
While the YRA premium hatchback has been revealed completely more or less, Maruti has made sure to keep us excited with this all-new spy shot. What you see here is the first image of the compact SUV Maruti Suzuki has been working on to compete against the Ford EcoSport in the segment. Codenamed ‘YBA’, the all-new compact SUV has been a much delayed project from the Indian automaker’s stable, which seems to have finally gone in the right direction. The new compact SUV will be within the 4-metre mark taking heavy inspiration from the iV4 concept that was showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.
The new Maruti YBA compact SUV gets muscular styling with little bulge for a beefed up look. The flat front hood lends an imposing stance, while the large lower air-dams and angular headlights are reminiscent of the new Vitara that was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and is also based on the iV4 concept. The front grille also gets the horizontal slate like the Vitara, instead of the vertical units seen on the concept model. At the sides, the YBA comes with a receding shoulder line coupled with a floating C-pillar. While the rear is not visible in the image, the tail lights are expected to get the angular treatment and could also get a tail gate mounted spare to enhance the rugged appeal. The test mule was riding on 16-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels.
Coming to the engine options, Maruti Suzuki will continue to use its existing range of powertrain including the 1-3-litre DDiS diesel and most likely the 1.2-litre K-Series petrol motor on the YBA compact SUV. Both the engines hopefully will be made available in higher state of tune, compared to their current outputs. A lot of parts sharing is also expected on the compact sedan that will help Maruti achieve higher economies of scale, while also competitively pricing the product. If the Ciaz is anything to go by, the YBA will be feature loaded right from the base variants and will be positioned as a value for money offering in the segment.
Furthermore, speculations suggest that Maruti is expected to unveil the new YBA compact SUV at the 2016 Auto Expo with the model being called the Maruti iV4. Positioned below the S-Cross in the company’s lineup, the new compact SUV will be competing in a rapidly growing segment that is expected to see a plethora of new offerings from Mahindra and Tata that are slated for launch next year.
Spy Picture Source – Autocar
