The Suzuki Vitara could be showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo that will help the company gauge feedback from prospective customers.
A recent set of spy shots emerged online suggests that Maruti Suzuki has imported several units of the Left Hand Drive (LHD) Suzuki Vitara in India, hinting towards a possible launch in the future. While the spy shots are reportedly said to be from the automaker’s domestic facility, we would suggest you take the news with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless, if the model has indeed made it to Indian shores, we could expect Maruti to showcase the new Vitara at the 2016 Auto Expo, where the company could gauge the right response from prospective customers.
Starting life as the iV-4 concept, the Suzuki Vitara made its global debut at the Paris Motor Show last year and is a five-seater compact SUV rivalling the Opel Mokka, Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V and the likes in the European market. It was reported earlier that Maruti was mulling to introduce the Vitara in the country by the 2017-18 fiscal and the success of its current crop of premium products would determine the fate of the crossover in India. If launched, the Vitara will be commanding a price tag of around Rs. 15 lakhs, pushing itself against the Mahindra XUV500, Skoda Yeti, Hyundai Santa Fe and the likes.
Internationally, the Suzuki Vitara draws power from 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engine options producing 120 HP respectively. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and 6-speed automatic for the petrol version while the diesel comes with a 6-speed manual unit. Maruti already uses the 1.6-litre diesel motor on the S-Cross in India in the same configuration and hence the engine can be confirmed for our market. The petrol could be given a miss altogether, similar to the S-Cross.
At present, details are extremely scarce on Maruti Suzuki’s plans for the Vitara. Nonetheless, the automaker’s new premium lineup comprising of the S-Cross, Ciaz and now Baleno have been received well in the market giving it enough push to move higher on the price ladder. Moreover, the automaker is looking to introduce more global products in the country with the YBA (codename) compact SUV as well as the Ignis micro-SUV also said to be in the pipeline that will help the company diversify its portfolio.
Spy Pictures Source – Team Fiat Moto Club on Facebook