Maruti Suzuki is the leading automobile manufacturer of India. However, now the competition in the automobile sector is increasing and this has led Maruti Suzuki to start working on new SUVs. The manufacturer is working on four new SUVs which makes sense because SUVs are currently the most selling body type. Today we list all the four SUVs down.

New generation Vitara Brezza

The Vitara Brezza has been on sale in India for quite some time now. Yes, it did get an update last year, but still, the basic design of the SUV proceeds the competition which now looks more attractive. The manufacturer is now working on a new generation of the Vitara Brezza. The new compact SUV has been codenamed YXA and is currently in development. The new generation is expected to use the same platform as the S-Cross and the full-size Vitara that is sold in the international market only. Sharing of the platform will help in reducing the production cost of the vehicle. However, this would also mean that we can expect the safety rating of the Vitara Brezza to go up. The current Vitara Brezza scored 4 stars in the Global NCAP crash test. The design language is expected to be boxy and butch because that is what made the current Brezza a hit in the Indian market.

The next generation of the Vitara Brezza will also use the current 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. The engine produces 105 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 138 Nm. It will be offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a new 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox which is currently in development. The new automatic gearbox will replace the current ageing 4-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The YXA will also be the first Maruti Suzuki vehicle to be offered with 6 airbags which is a big thing. Because of the new generation, the prices will go up and the current Brezza is already not the cheapest compact SUVs. In fact, many competitors undercut its price. However, Maruti Suzuki has a plan ready for this. We can expect the new Vitara Brezza to get unveiled by the end of this year.

Baleno based compact SUV

As we discussed, that the price of the Vitara Brezza will go up when the new generation is introduced. The manufacturer is currently developing a new cheaper compact SUV that will sit below the Vitara Brezza and will attract people who could not afford the Vitara Brezza. The new compact SUV will be based on the Baleno. So, the engine, underpinnings and the platform will be shared with the Baleno. This will help in saving the production costs and the new vehicle could be priced more competitively. The new compact SUV has been codenamed YTB and will compete against the less expensive compact SUVs such as Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite etc.

The design of the compact SUV is expected to be a coupe-style crossover. It will be powered by the same 1.2-litre DualJet naturally aspirated petrol engine that we have seen on the Baleno, Dzire and the Swift. The engine produces 90 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 113 Nm. It will be offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox. There should also be an automatic gearbox on offer. However, we do not know whether it will be a CVT unit from Baleno or the 5-speed AMT from Swift and the Dzire. The Baleno based compact SUV is expected to be unveiled sometime early next year.

Jimny LWB

Maruti Suzuki showcased the Jimny at the Auto Expo 2020 and it generated a lot of hype around it. Unfortunately, Maruti Suzuki announced that they will not be bringing the Jimny to India because the three-door vehicle market in India is too niche and it required a lot of investment to sell in India. However, recently a long-wheelbase version of the Jimny was spotted in Europe. This might mean that finally, the manufacturer is considering introducing a larger version of the Jimny which could seat four people comfortably because of the legroom that is added by a long wheelbase. The new SUV has been codenamed YWD. The underpinnings will be the same as the regular Jimny. However, the wheelbase and length would be longer. Also, the spy shots revealed that the Jimny LWB had two doors. So, there is a chance that Maruti Suzuki might add two rear doors or just sell it as a three-door SUV just like the Mahindra Thar. Powering the SUV will be the same 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that will come with a 4×4 powertrain. The Jimny LWB is expected to launch in India sometime near June 2022.

S-Cross replacement

 

The S-Cross never sold in the numbers that the manufacturer was hoping it would. Now, they are working with Toyota on an S-Cross replacement. The new vehicle has been codenamed YFG and could be based on Toyota’s DNGA platform. The replacement vehicle is expected to be a mid-size SUV. The SUV will also be sold by Toyota as a rebadged version. The new SUV is expected to go on sale around late 2022 or early 2023.