Maruti’s latest premium offering, the S-Cross, has been launched starting at Rs 8.34 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It is available with two engine options and in five trim levels, and is the first model to be sold out of the Nexa showrooms – Maruti’s premium dealerships.
The car manufacturer calls the S-Cross a ‘premium crossover’ and rightly so — it looks more butch hatchback than rugged SUV. It gets off-roader elements like skid plates, body cladding and roof rails.
As for the engines, the S-Cross DDiS 320 has a 1.6-litre diesel that makes 118bhp and 32.6kgm of torque, while the DDiS 200 gets a 1.3-litre diesel unit that churns out 89bhp and 20.39kgm of torque. The bigger engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, and the smaller unit to a five-speed manual. Reining the car in are disc brakes both at the front and rear. Both variants are also claimed to be quite frugal – the DDiS 320 is said to deliver 22.70kpl, while the DDiS 200 delivers 23.65kpl.
Maruti has done well to equip the S-Cross with a long list of features. While there are four trims to choose from — Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha – the top trim gets fitments like projector headlamps, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, climate control and Maruti’s SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system. It's good to note that safety kit like dual front airbags and ABS is standard across all trims.
Considering that the Maruti S-Cross is only going to be retailed through the Nexa channel - which according to the company will have around 100 dealerships in the next six to eight months - the model may not be able to achieve the sales volume that Marutis are usually associated with, but in combination with the Nexa experience, the S-Cross is likely to aid the carmaker in taking another big step towards achieving a premium brand perception.
The Maruti S-Cross rivals the likes of the Renault Duster, the Nissan Terrano and the recently launched Hyundai Creta.
All prices, ex-showroom, Delhi.
UPDATE - Maruti S-Cross prices (ex-showroom, Mumbai)
1.3 Sigma - Rs 8.83 lakh
1.3 Delta - Rs 9.68 lakh
1.3 Zeta - Rs 9.99 lakh
1.3 Alpha - Rs 11.36 lakh
1.6 Delta - Rs 12.66 lakh
1.6 Zeta - Rs 13.71 lakh
1.6 Alpha - Rs 14.49 lakh
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