Maruti Suzuki S-cross petrol launch on August 5

• Maruti Suzuki S-cross petrol prices to be revealed on August 5
• 105hp, 1.5-litre engine with manual and automatic options to be on offer
• Expected to be priced in the Rs 8.5-11.5 lakh (ex-showroom) bracket.

The S-cross is the last remaining Maruti Suzuki model that has yet to make the transition from BS4 to BS6 emission norms. The crossover, which will go from being a diesel-only model to a petrol-only one, will go on sale on August 5. After the S-cross petrol made its debut at Auto Expo 2020, a launch was originally scheduled for April. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those launch plans. The launch was then re-scheduled for July 29, but sources tell us it has, again, been postponed to August 5.

What are the biggest differences on the Maruti Suzuki S-cross?

The S-cross’ BS4-compliant 90hp, 1.3-litre diesel engine – otherwise known as India’s ‘national’ engine – was not upgraded to meet the more stringent emission norms and was instead discontinued. Much like the Vitara Brezza, S-cross will be using Suzuki’s now ubiquitous K15B petrol engine, first seen in the Ciaz, which produces 105hp and 138Nm of torque, and comes standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

With the new petrol heart comes another big change – the option of an automatic gearbox. The 1.5-litre petrol unit can also be had with a 4-speed torque-converter automatic. The automatic will be offered on the higher three variants of the S-cross petrol; there will be a total of four variants on offer – Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

The BS4 model – which was diesel-manual-only – was available with mild-hybrid tech across the range. However, the BS6 S-cross will only have the tech on the automatic versions.

Is there anything else new on the Maruti Suzuki S-cross petrol?

Other than the new powertrain, the S-cross will be unchanged, inside and out. Maruti’s crossover was last refreshed in 2017 and is now approaching the end of its lifecycle. It’s likely to be replaced by a midsize SUV that’ll be derived from the Futuro-e concept SUV showcased at the Auto Expo.

How will the Maruti Suzuki S-cross petrol be priced?

Compared to its diesel-powered predecessor, which cost between Rs 8.81 to 11.44 lakh, S-cross petrol prices are likely to be slightly lower. Unlike the Brezza, which lost its sub-4-metre ‘compact SUV’ tax break and got more expensive when it switched to the 1.5-litre petrol engine, the 4.2-metre-long S-cross didn’t have that advantage to begin with. With prices expected in the Rs 8.5-11.5 lakh region, the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross petrol will go up directly against the now petrol-only Renault Duster (Rs 8.49-10.00 lakh).

All prices, ex-showroom, Delhi