Maruti YRA has been spied testing in its production version that reveals basic styling. The Maruti YRA is bigger than the Swift and will be positioned above the Swift to compete with the Hyundai Elite i20. The premium hatchback will be launched in 2015.
Maruti Suzuki is working on a premium hatchback codenamed as YRA that will be positioned above the Swift in the company’s portfolio. To compete head-on with the Hyundai Elite i20, which is gaining tremendous attention, Maruti is readying a bigger Swift for the market. Many buyers compare the Swift with the Hyundai Grand i10 because of the similar pricing and value proposition. Hyundai Elite i20 on the other hand is considered as a premium offering loaded with features and style. Accordingly, Maruti Suzuki wants to have its hand in the till.
The YRA hatchback has been spied testing recently in its production avatar, which gives us a glimpse of the styling. The car looks quite ugly in the picture as we can see Maruti Suzuki has done a hideous job of mixing the Swift DNA with some new styling elements. The front profile looks quite disproportionate that features small headlamp cluster lifted straight from the Swift alongside a huge chrome outlined grille that looks inspired from the Nissan Evalia. The front bumper has a typical Swift family setup of fog lamps.
Along with a wide air intake the YRA hatchback gets tiny LED DRLs (now you know why Swift facelift doesn’t get DRLs). The side profile of the Maruti YRA hatchback gets rising crease lines and door mounted wing mirrors derived from the Suzuki S-Cross. The ORVMs don’t get integrated blinkers. The car seems to be wider and longer than the Swift for more cabin space. The rear profile of the premium hatchback is yet to be seen but expect safe and neutral styling at the rear.
The new premium hatchback will be a global offering from Suzuki but Maruti will offer India specific styling and mechanicals. For keeping costs under check, we expect the interiors to share elements from the existing product lineup of Maruti Suzuki. The Maruti YRA is expected to get the staple Fiat sourced 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engine tuned more towards fuel efficiency and 1.2-litre or 1.4-litre K-Series engines. Expected in 2015, the Maruti YRA hatchback will compete with the Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo and the upcoming Honda Jazz.
Source – Autocar