Maruti Suzuki, India's largest passenger car maker, is all set to introduce new vehicles in the domestic market in 2014. Notably, the auto maker has a stronghold in the Indian automobile market and its hatchbacks like WagonR and Swift are immensely popular among customers. Realising the demand that currently prevails in the market, the auto maker recently launched the all-new Maruti Suzuki Stingray. This new model has been appreciated by industry experts for its revamped exteriors and interiors. Now, speculations are rife that Maruti Suzuki is planning to introduce a number of new vehicles in 2014 to increase its share in the Indian car market. The names that have come up include likes of XA Alpha and YL1.
Maruti Suzuki XA alpha concept car is being developed by the auto maker to make its presence in the compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment. Notably, SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicle) are being increasingly favoured by domestic buyers as they offer more power, space and comfort while driving. As of now, the auto maker does not have any noticeable share in the utility vehicle segment. To change this, it now plans to make a mark in the steadily growing SUV class by launching the XA Alpha. Earlier, Maruti Suzuki had showcased XA Alpha as a concept car at the 2012 Auto Expo. This vehicle is an entry-level SUV just like Renault's Duster and Ford's EcoSport. Sources claim that the XA Alpha is expected to be based on the Swift platform and will be launched in both, petrol and diesel options. If reports are to be believed then the price of this vehicle is likely to be between Rs. 6 lakh and 8 lakh. The nomenclature adopted by the auto maker for XA Alpha is quite interesting. While 'Alpha' represents trendiness and newness, 'A' signifies that this vehicle will be designed for customers willing to enter the utility vehicle segment and 'X' denotes the crossover category.
Interestingly, the design team dedicated to develop this concept vehicle had taken cues from Indian martial arts and wrestling. In the same context, headlamps, tail lamps of this vehicle have drawn inspiration from muscles of wrestlers. The front of the Auto Expo 2012 version featured a 5-aperture grill that carried the company logo and the car also flaunted a roof-mounted stop lamp. Interiors of this vehicle are expected to bear resemblance with those found in Swift and Swift DZire. XA Alpha is expected to come with a seating capacity of 5 persons. It is likely to have length, width, height and wheelbase measuring 4000 mm, 1900 mm, 1600 mm and 2500 mm, respectively. Mayank Pareek, Chief Operating Officer for Marketing & Sales at Maruti Suzuki, reportedly said, “I am always asking the engineering guys to quicken their work on SUVs, it is the need of the hour. I expect to see a 3-4% jump in our market share once we roll out our SUVs. It’s among the fastest growing sectors today and accounts for about 21% of car sales and we are not present there, so we are losing out.”
Another vehicle that has been in the news is Maruti Suzuki YL1. This sedan, expected to make its debut in the year 2014, is being seen by many industry experts as a replacement for the currently available SX4. This car will be competing directly with likes of Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid. The ground clearance of this vehicle is expected to be same as that of SX4. However, interiors and exteriors are likely to be tweaked to get a premium feel. Some features that this new upcoming sedan is likely to come with are automatic climate control module with rear AC vents, Bluetooth connectivity, height adjustable steering, sunglass holder and dead pedal.
