2017 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross facelift India launch on September 26, crossover to get mild-hybrid system: Report

Suzuki had unveiled the new S-Cross crossover globally in 2016 with some nip and tuck on the front.

Maruti Suzuki had kicked off its premium dealership chain Nexa with the launch of its crossover model S-Cross in July 2015. Suzuki globally unveiled the updated S-Cross in 2016 and it has been rumoured for India launch in current festive season.

It looks like the launch of S-Cross facelift is imminent. Though the company is yet to release information on the new S-Cross' launch date, NDTV Auto claims that it will enter the market on September 26. Maruti Suzuki dealers have already started accepting bookings for the new avatar of S-Cross for a fully refundable token of Rs 11,000.

The biggest addition in the new S-Cross will be its heart. The 1.6-litre diesel mill will be discontinued as there is no significant demand for the bigger engine and there won't be a petrol mill on offer. The only engine option will be 1.3-litre diesel unit but it will be coupled with SHVS smart hybrid technology, reports Autocar.

The report says that the addition of the SHVS hybrid system will see seven percent increase in fuel efficiency from 1.3-litre mill which currently returns 23.65kmpl (claimed).

Maruti Suzuki's SHVS hybrid system is currently employed on Ertiga MPV and Ciaz sedan. It makes use of a lithium-ion battery that gets charged with the help of regenerative braking. The system converts the kinetic energy of rolling wheels into electricity for charging the battery. Combined with the idle stop/start system, the hybrid setup will return increased fuel efficiency.

It will be an interesting move if Maruti Suzuki decides to bring the mild-hybrid system in the new S-Cross. Under the new Goods and Services Tax structure, taxes for hybrid models were increased in order to push manufacturers to bring electric models in India. Post GST implementation on July 1, the company had increased prices of SHVS mild hybrid system equipped Ertiga and Ciaz models. In such a scenario, will bringing hybrid setup to S-Cross be a wise move?

Source: NDTV Auto, Autocar