HomeCar NewsMaruti S Cross exported to Malaysia for 2015 IIFA Awards, price Rs...

Maruti S Cross exported to Malaysia for 2015 IIFA Awards, price Rs 7.68 lakhs

Maruti S Cross is an upcoming compact crossover for car buyers in India. After making its debut at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo (image below), the car is now set to debut at this year’s IIFA Awards (International Indian Film Academy Awards): much in the same way as Renault unveiled Lodgy at Star Guild awards earlier this year.

This is not the first time a car manufacturer is being associating itself with IIFA Awards. 2014 edition of the same awards, saw Tata Motors bagging the title sponsorship rights. This year, its Maruti Suzuki. IIFA Awards are known for their glittering ceremony, international venue and guest list which not only includes the who’s who of Bollywood, but also the A-listers from Hollywood. 2014 edition saw Kevin Spacey and John Travalto shaking their booty to Indian numbers on stage.

Over the past few months, Maruti Suzuki, which is India’s largest car maker, is trying to change its image in the market. From being a small and affordable car maker, the company now wants to be seen as a premium brand, probably in the league of Honda. This is one of the reason behind Maruti making ‘S Cross’ as the 2015 IIFA title sponsor, to the extent that there is neither Maruti nor Suzuki in the name (even in small font).

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross compact SUV, is due for launch in the coming weeks. It will be a premium product which will be aimed at a niche segment of car buyers. To be sold only at their new Nixa dealerships, it is expected to be offered in a choice of 1 petrol and 2 diesel engine options.

Maruti Suzuki S Cross will come in loaded with features. These will include projector headlamps, LED DRLs, start/stop button, SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system and keyless entry.

A screen grab from Zauba.com

Petrol engine will be in the form of a 1.4 liter engine producing 91 bhp peak power and 130 Nm peak torque. Base diesel will be in the form of a 1.3 liter MultiJet engine offering 91 bhp power and 200 Nm torque. Both these mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. Apart from these two, the engine which will make things interesting, is the 1.6l MultiJet, offering 120PS power and 320 Nm torque; mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox. All variants will be offered as FWD, while the latter could also receive a AWD option.

Considering that Maruti is going ahead with ‘S Cross’ as the name for title sponsor, have they decided to discard the rumoured India-spec name – ‘Across’?

With prices expected to commence in the sub Rs 8 lakh to Rs 13 lakh bracket, expect a total of 7-8 variants on offer upon launch.

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