Maruti S Cross - Yay or Nay ?
Finally the S-Cross is coming to India. With the S-Cross , Maruti is expanding it’s presence in the premium segment. For the first time, S-Cross will be sold exclusively through the Nexa showrooms across India. In cities, where Nexa presence is not yet there, the Maruti dealer in that city will sell through a partnered Nexa dealership.
For those of you who are unaware, Maruti has recently forayed into premium dealership under the brand Nexa. These Nexa showrooms will not be selling the small cars produced by Maruti.
Let’s take a look at how the king of small cars will fare in the big boys club..
Slated to launch in the month of August, Maruti’s crossover hatchback will compete with the likes of Duster and Creta, albeit with a more powerful engine.
Exterior:
Maruti is making certain changes to the Indian version where the car is being launched as a crossover, in comparison to the European version where the car is replacing a previous version of the SX4 hatchback. Keeping in mind that this car is going to compete with the Renault Duster and Hyundai Creta, its low height does not give it an SUVish stance. Looks wise the front design makes it a distinctive Suzuki design.
A look at the numbers gives the full story.
|
|
Maruti S Cross |
Hyundai Creta |
Renault Duster |
|
Length |
4300 mm |
4270 mm |
4315 mm |
|
Width |
1765 mm |
1780 mm |
1822 mm |
|
Height |
1590 mm |
1630 mm |
1695 mm |
|
Ground clearance |
183 mm |
180 mm |
205 mm |
|
Wheel base |
2600 mm |
2590 mm |
2673 mm |
|
Price (Rs.) |
Expected below 9 lacs |
Expected below 9 lacs |
Starts from Rs. 9 lacs |
People might tend to believe that this car is competing against the Hyundai i20 Active and Fiat Aventura.
Interior:
In order to compete with the Creta and Duster, Maruti needs to up its interior game. And though Maruti has made an attempt to make it feel upto the Rs. 9 lacs plus price tag, most of the bits are a carryover from the Swift and hence not upto the mark for a car in this segment. Maruti needs to build a separate set of interiors for its premium segment like the Ciaz and S-Cross.
The top end S-Cross comes loaded with a slew of features like HID projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, reverse camera and parking sensors, smart entry with push button start, cruise control, Bluetooth, a 7-inch touchscreen Maruti SmartPlay entertainment system with navigation, automatic day/night rear view mirror, electrically-adjustable wing mirrors with power folding feature, automatic climate control and leather seats. Rear AC vents are not offered on any model.
Engine and Drive Quality:
The Maruti S Cross is available with two engine options. The 1.3 MultiJet with 5 speed Manual Transmission and the 1.6 litre MultiJet with 6 speed Manual transmission. Out of the two, the 1.6 litre engine is fully imported. Drive wise , the S Cross fares well on the highways as well as in the city traffic. S Cross comes out tops in terms of suspension and driver feedback. However, the refinement (read noise level) is not as good as that of the Creta.
However, point to be noted is that S Cross is only available in Manual transmission. In this day and age, atleast one Automatic variant is required. But it seems that Maruti is testing the waters and will launch an AT , later in the product cycle when it comes out with a facelift. Maruti is claiming of class leading fuel efficiency which is one of the most important factor being considered by Indian buyers. Company claims fuel efficiency of 23.65 kmpl in the lower version and 22.7 kmpl in the higher version.
Thumbs Up or Down :
Most importantly, let us look on the pricing scenario. Maruti has always had a tough time selling cars in the Rs. 10 lacs plus segment. It is estimated that S Cross will be segmented above the Ciaz and hence the range will start from Rs. 9 lacs plus. High import content is one of the factors due to which the price of this car has inched upwards.
To sum it up, we feel that Maruti will have to play it’s A-game to sell this car to customers other than Maruti loyalists. S Cross does not have the presence of the Duster or Creta and the Maruti tag also downplays its attractiveness.
As of now we give a Thumbs Down to this car from Maruti.
- Automobile Analyst
Jainee P. Gordhandas