Maruti Suzuki’s attempt to become market leader in the compact SUV segment with S-Cross crossover did not quite yield the effect it hoped for as it faced serious competition from Hyundai and Ford. The largest carmaker in the country is back again with the same car but with a fresh look to tap the most sought after segment in Indian automobile industry with the launch of Premia, a limited edition of the S-Cross in India.
Maruti Suzuki had launched S-Cross crossover in August this year via newly-set up Nexa premium dealership but the model faced tough challenge from Hyundai’s Creta and Ford’s EcoSport and its sales faired poorly compared when compared to the Creta or EcoSport.
With the new launch, Premia, Maruti is all set to increase its presence in the segment. The car is priced competitively at Rs 8.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and will be exclusively available in Nexa premium showrooms.
The car is based on the Delta trim level of the DDiS 200 version of the crossover and comes with some additional equipment.
While the regular Delta comes with steel wheels the Premia comes with alloy wheels and a pair of fog lamps as well. The car is also equipped with a reverse parking sensor and camera and Garmin navigation system with a 12.7 cm display.
The S-Cross is the maiden product from Nexa dealerships of India's largest car manufacturer. The S-Cross was launched at a price ranging from Rs 8.34 lakh to Rs 13.74 lakh with the option of two diesel engines.
The 1.3-litre diesel motor churns out 89bhp power and 200Nm torque, and 1.6-litre diesel that is tuned to pump out 118bhp and 320Nm. The former engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the latter gets six-speed manual transmission.
Currently, Maruti has over 32 Nexa premium showrooms operational in the country and the number is expected to go beyond 100 in the near future. This will also boost the sales of the S-Cross.
BW Reporters
The author is Senior Correspondent with BW Businessworld
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