Maruti S-Cross to be called ACross for India

Maruti’s upcoming crossover SUV, the S-Cross was showcased at the Auto Expo 2014.  The carmaker began testing the vehicle for India last year.

Maruti is expected to make a number of changes to the S-Cross for the Indian market before launching it and one of the major changes will be its name. According to Gaadiwaadi.com, the S-Cross will be named Maruti Across in the India market.

The model will be more of a crossover than an SUV. But will have the requisite off-roader details, like high ground clearance, black cladding all around and metal scuff plates at the front and rear. Overseas, the S-Cross comes with Suzuki’s ALLGRIP all-wheel-drive system, although it’s uncertain whether or not the Indian car will adopt this, or stick with the two-wheel drive.

The Maruti Across is expected to come with LED daytime running lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels, at least for the top-spec variant. The interiors of the Indian version are expected to feature a two-tone theme and, taking a page from Hyundai’s book, Maruti is also expected to load the Across with a lot of equipment too. Much of the switchgear and even the steering wheel will be shared with other Maruti models to keep costs in check.

The Across is expected to come with a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine. This unit, like the 1.3-litre diesel that does duty in other Marutis, will also be sourced from Fiat. It churns out a decent 118bhp of power and 32kgm of torque, and is expected to be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

When launched, the ACross is likely to be priced at around Rs 13-14 lakh, which will pit it against segment heavyweights like the Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and some versions of the Mahindra XUV500.