Maruti Suzuki to bring Celerio, Ciaz, S-Cross SX4 and iv4 crossover concept to Auto Expo

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When you are India’s biggest manufacturer, any new product that you bring to the market will always get a lot of attention and be surrounded with a lot of excitement. It has been the same for Maruti Suzuki over the last few editions of the Auto Expo and this one is expected to be no different. The Indo-Japanese automaker will bring to this edition of the India’s premiere motoring event- the Celerio hatchback, the Ciaz mid-size sedan and a crossover concept called the iv-4. 

Celerio

The Celerio hatchback seems to be one of the most important vehicles for Maruti Suzuki in terms of launches. It was first shown as the A:Wind concept car in November and the production version by the looks of it stays pretty close to the concept car. The Celerio when launched in India will be available in six variants-three manual and three automatic with the latter getting more in terms of features and options.  

They follow the standard Maruti Suzuki naming convention of LXi, VXi and the top-of-the-line ZXi which has all the bells and whistles including 2-DIN music with Bluetooth, keyless entry and optional extra in the form of ABS.     

The car will be launched with just one engine, which is an upgraded version of the K-Series petrol mill (a.k.a K-Next) which produces 68bhp and 90Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels via a five-speed manual or an automated manual transmission. When launched, it will compete against the Hyundai Grand i10, Honda Brio and the Chevrolet Sail hatchback.     

Ciaz/YL1

The Ciaz (a.k.a the YL1) will be the Indo-Japanese automaker’s C-segment sedan competitor and is expected to replace the ageing SX4 sedan. It gets much of its design from the Suzuki Authentics concept that was shown at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. The interiors and external design have already been shown, thanks to a plethora of spy shots near Maruti Suzuki’s factory in Gurgaon. 

It is expected to be powered by the 1.6-litre petrol engine from the SX4 and most likely the 1.6-litre Multijet diesel engine which Suzuki is expected to source from Fiat. This engine will also power the S-Cross SX4 crossover when it is launched here. The gearbox options will include a five-speed manual as well as the AMT from the Celerio (petrol only). In terms of variants, Maruti Suzuki will have eight variants- five petrol and three diesel.      

We expect that they will unveil the car at the Auto Expo and will launch it for the Indian market a few months later. It competes in the C-Segment with the Honda City, Renault Scala, VW Vento and the Hyundai Verna. 

 S-Cross SX4

While the sedan version of the SX4 may have not been much of a success, its crossover variant the S-Cross SX4 is expected to change the fortunes for the moniker. Maruti Suzuki has not provided any hints about the vehicle being present at the motoring show but we expect that since crossovers have become important vehicles in India, the S-Cross SX4 will have a presence here. 

The S-Cross SX4 embodies much of the Japanese automaker’s new design language but still has many elements to give it a fresh appearance. It is 4.4 meters long and has a wheelbase of about 2.2 meters. 

The S-Cross SX4 is being offered with one diesel mill and one petrol engine. The oil burner is a turbocharged 1.6-litre unit that produces 117bhp and 320Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels or all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. The petrol is also 1.6-litre mill but is naturally aspirated. 

It produces 117bhp and 156Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to all four wheels or the front wheels via a five-speed manual or a CVT gearbox. In the Indian market, we expect that MSIL will offer only the front-wheel-drive options with both sets of gearboxes.

Iv4 concept

The fourth and final concept car that we expect from the Indo-Japanese automaker is the iv4 concept car that was showcased at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is likely to slot in below the S-Cross SX4 and XA Alpha (in its production form).  

The iV-4 is 4.2-meters long, 1.8 meters wide, 1.6 meters high and has a wheelbase of 2.5-meters making it roughly the same size as the international-spec Ford EcoSport. It sits on 20-inch wheels and 235/55 R20 size tyres. The concept car has been painted in a shade specific to this model called Brilliant Turquoise Metallic Blue.

It is expected to be powered by a new set of engines that will be in the range of 1.6-litres to 2.0-litres across both petrol and diesel mills. It is also expected to have a five-speed manual as well as the AMT that has been showcased on the Celerio hatchback. 

In addition to these models, we expect that Maruti Suzuki will also showcase the XA-Alpha SUV which it had brought to the previous edition of the Expo as well as some of its major customisation options that it offers for its various models sold in the country.