The Suzuki YRA premium hatchback gets a very European styling, featuring a clutter free design, while the interiors too will come feature loaded with a host of equipment on offer.
Suzuki has been silently working on its newest global product in the premium hatchback segment that will be seen competing with a range of hatchbacks. Codenamed YRA, the Japanese automaker kept it a well guarded secret under heavy camouflage for the longest time; however, the mystery car has been finally caught undisguised as these new spy shots that surfaced online reveal the exteriors and interiors completely.
Starting with the exteriors, the new Suzuki YRA premium hatchback gets a more European styling. The front fascia is very similar to the Swift, especially with the headlight cluster that gets projector headlamps. The grille however is very Nissan-esque in design. The glass area on the car is a lot shallower than other vehicles for a more aggressive appeal, which also improves the aerodynamics. Coming to the side profile, the ORVMs get integrated turn indicators and are surprisingly mounted on the door panel at the waistline, instead of the A-pillar.
The pillars have also been blacked out for a floating roof design, while the door handles are covered in chrome which will be restricted only to the top-end variants. The test mule spotted was riding on some very sporty 5-spoke alloy wheels possibly on 15-inch tyres. The rear profile dominates with the European styling on the YRA hatch and features a massive bumper with integrated reflectors. You also get a very chunky and squared-off tail light cluster that seems to have taken inspiration from the Volkswagen Polo. The YRA hatch also comes with an integrated rear spoiler, while the image of an open boot revealed the large capacity it will hold. However, the large bumper could make the access to the boot a little difficult.
While most of the cabin was covered in camouflage, the centre console and instrument cluster have been completely revealed. Finished in brushed silver with chrome bezels, the centre console gets vertical air-con vents with a new touchscreen display in the centre. Keeping the use of buttons at a minimal, we expect the touchscreen unit to control a majority of things, while the automatic air-con controls are located below the touchscreen display. The instrument cluster on the other hand comes with a two-dial set-up with an MID screen in the centre. Illuminated in blue, expect to see all the vital driver information details on display.
While certain features were not visible, you can expect ABS, ESP, EBD, cruise control, gear shift indicator and a lot more to be offered as standard on the international version. The engine options are unknown as of now, but the 1.2-litre K-Series as well as the 1.3-litre DDiS are more likely to be the mainstay on the model. The 1.4-litre petrol motor could also find its way on the YRA hatch internationally. Apart from the regular mills, Suzuki could also offer the new 1.0-litre turbocharged engine that is currently under development on the hatchback.
The new YRA will be showcased globally most likely in the first half of 2015, while production is expected to commence by September 2015 in India for the domestic as well as European markets. Positioned above the Swift, the new YRA will be locking horns with the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, Hyundai i20, Renault Clio, Ford Fiesta hatch and the likes in the segment. It will be interesting to see if the YRA hatch is able to dethrone the i20 in the premium hatchback segment with the Koreans doing consistently well not only in India, but across Europe as well.
Source – Motor Octane
