Maruti YBA (sub-4m SUV) to launch in India in January 2016 - IAB Report

17/03/2015 - 16:07 | ,   | Anjan Ravi

Reported to be based on the Swift's platform.

India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, will launch two compact SUVs in the next 12 months. The first is the SX4 S-Cross, which is coming in the first half of this year, and the second is an all-new sub-4 meter SUV, which is only known by its 'YBA' codename for now.

Maruti Suzuki Concept XA Alpha Auto Expo 2012
The concept XA Alpha showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo was the first sign that Maruti was keen on entering the compact SUV segment.

Sources told Indian Autos Blog that the Maruti YBA will have its Indian market launch in January 2016, just prior to the Auto Expo 2016 which is announced to take place from February 5, 2016. "It [YBA] will finally allow us to compete with cars like the Ford EcoSport and with S-Cross we will rival the Duster/Terrano segment", one source said.

The company has already started testing the YBA with reports indicating that it is based on the Swift platform. It will be made available with a petrol and a diesel engine, with the former being the tried-and-tested 1.2-liter K-Series motor or a new 1.0-liter turbocharged 'Boosterjet' engine. The latter could either be a Fiat Multijet or Maruti's in-house engine.

Suzuki SX4 S-Cross side at the 2014 Paris Motor Show
The larger S-Cross will rival cars like the Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano.

Also read: Next gen Maruti Swift to be "radical"

The YBA and S-Cross see Maruti enter all-new segments, a must for a carmaker which aims to sell 2 million units/annum in the next few years. Prior to the YBA's launch, Maruti will introduce a new premium hatchback based on the Suzuki iK-2 concept, which is codenamed Maruti YRA.

Rivals: VW Taigun, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon, Mahindra S101
Expected Price: INR 5-8 lakhs, ex-showroom
Launch Date: January 2016 (unconfirmed)

Maruti XA-Alpha Concept - Image Gallery

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