Auto Expo 2020: Maruti steals the show with new electric SUV concept, petrol Vitara Brezza, and Ignis
There’s a reason why Maruti Suzuki continues to be a hit across India. At Auto Expo 2020, the company showcased several updates to its existing line-up, along with a hybrid Swift and a concept electric vehicle.
India’s largest-selling passenger carmaker Maruti Suzuki has yet again managed to steal all eyeballs at Auto Expo 2020. The Gurugram-based carmaker showcased electric SUV Futuro-e, which is styled as a coupe, and the new Vitara Brezza SUV. It also displayed the CNG version of the S-Presso and Swift Hybrid.
Here’s a closer look at the five products from Maruti Suzuki’s stall at Auto Expo 2020.
Maruti Futuro-e
This B-segment SUV coupe by Maruti is one of the products that has debuted at Auto Expo 2020. What is special is that the unique design has been created by Maruti Suzuki’s in-house team.
What breaks the quintessential look of this Maruti SUV is the coupe-styled shape. The rear windscreen provides the Futuro-e outline to the SUV, while the sharply cut glasshouse and thick C-pillar add to the elegance.
Other distinctive designs include a high-set bonnet and a wide face. It also gets sporty LED headlamps; the front grille is a narrow strip. The interiors of the car have been given a contemporary look with futuristic steering and a seat with ambient lighting.
As the name suggests, this is an electric SUV concept. Maruti says the Futuro-e is “future-ready with a wide array of powertrain options like hybrid and pure EV”.
However, what remains to be seen is whether Maruti Suzuki brings the Futuro-e to production or not. There is a chance that if brought into production, the car may be offered with an internal combustion engine.
Maruti Vitara Brezza
The Vitara Brezza facelift was unveiled at Auto Expo 2020. The compact SUV gets a new front grille, colour options, and modern alloy wheels. The revised SUV also has faux skid plates for front and back bumpers.
Maruti’s Vitara Brezza also gets a wider chin, splintered into two sections. There is slight swapping as well - the fog lamp housing and indicators have been moved to the headlamp unit, but the headlamp shape remains the same.
The SUV is expected to get a BS-VI compliant 1.5-litre petrol engine that will be a replacement for the 1.3 litre diesel powerplant, which is the same unit as Ertiga and the Ciaz.
This engine produces 106 PS of power and 138 Nm torque. Gearbox options include a five-speed manual gearbox as standard and automatic unit possibility. The compact SUV also comes with hill-hold assist.
The price is expected to be slightly lower than the diesel version.
Maruti Ignis
The facelifted Ignis is set to be officially launched in India later this month. It gets a newly designed front grille, refreshed front grille, and a new skid plate, both in the front and rear. The rear section has been given a makeover with a new bumper.
Changes to the interiors have been kept to a minimum. It gets new seat fabric and the seven-inch SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment system with onboard navigation with live traffic, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.
The hatchback also gets two new exterior colour options: Lucent Orange and Turquoise Blue. It also offers three new dual-tone paint options, Nexa Blue with Black, Lucent Orange with a black roof, and Nexa Blue with a silver roof.
Bidding adieu to the diesel mill, the new Maruti Ignis will be retailed only with a 1.2-litre petrol mill, which produces 83 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque. Transmission options remain the same: a five-speed manual and a five-speed AMT (automated manual transmission) unit.
The Maruti Ignis will be offered with several customisation options. The company has started accepting bookings at its Nexa range of dealerships.
Maruti S-Presso CNG
The recently launched S-Presso hatchback is all set to gain a new CNG variant. In terms of exteriors, the car gains only a small CNG sticker at the back; the factory-fitted CNG cylinder is housed inside the boot.
The company is yet to reveal the performance figures of the S-Presso CNG. It is powered by the same 1.0-litre K10B engine, which in petrol mode produces 67.98 PS of power. This is expected to drop down to 59 PS in CNG mode.
Unlike the petrol variant, which comes with a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT, the CNG variant is expected to be retailed only with a five-speed manual gearbox option.
Maruti will be retailing the S-Presso CNG only in select grades, namely LXI, LXI (O), VXI, and VXI (O). The petrol-only version is also offered in a bare-bones, standard variant.
A launch timeline has not been officially confirmed, but we expect an announcement to take place in the next few weeks.
Suzuki Swift Hybrid
Maruti Suzuki showcased the Swift hybrid, which is retailed in Japan. Introduced in July 2017, this variant is manufactured only at Suzuki’s Sagara plant in Japan. In terms of design, the car is pretty much the same as the model retailed in India.
The powertrain is the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine along with the PB05A electric motor. The internal combustion motor in the Swift Hybrid produces 91 PS of power and 118 Nm of torque. Its electric motor manages to squeeze out 10 PS of power and 30 Nm of torque, and sources its power from a 100-volt lithium-ion battery pack placed under the floor of the boot.
The Suzuki Swift Hybrid is offered only with a five-speed AMT option. Suzuki claims that the Swift Hybrid has a fuel efficiency rating of 32 kmpl.
The interior sports a blue illumination for the instrument panel and a similar accent of the gear knob.
Maruti has not officially confirmed the Swift Hybrid for India. The hatchback may gain a smart hybrid system (SHVS), seen in the Ciaz, at a later date.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)
