Indian testing is underway for Maruti’s upcoming crossover SUV, the S-Cross, and we’ve got our hands on the very first set of spy photographs of the car in Manali, India.

The S-Cross is Maruti’s entrant in the growing mid-size crossover-SUV segment in India. Maruti had the S-Cross on display earlier this year at the 2014 Auto Expo and sources tell us that it will hit showrooms early next year. Maruti is expected to make a number of changes to the S-Cross for the Indian market before launching it here next year.

As you can see from its basic silhouette, the S-Cross’s shape is more crossover than upright SUV. Still, it 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 two-wheel drive.

The Maruti S-Cross 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 S-Cross 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 S-Cross 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 S-Cross 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. 

AKBAR MERCHANT

Watch our exclusive Maruti S-Cross video review