The vibrant and highly competitive auto industry in India has always kept the market leader Maruti Suzuki busy experimenting with new strategies. And the constant challenge from the rivals perhaps gave it a reason to innovate and cement its position as the leader.
Keen to bring in innovative additions to cater to its burgeoning clientele base, the automaker plans to introduce four new models in the next 12 to 18 months.
While the company will launch the new version of its popular hatchback Swift at the upcoming Auto Expo in February this year, there are other models such as the face-lifted versions of the Ertiga, Ciaz and WagonR being lined up for the months to come.
2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift
Maruti Suzuki will launch the new third generation Swift hatchback in India in February. Under the hood, the new Swift will come with the tried and tested 1.2-litre K12 VVT petrol and 1.3-litre DDiS 190 diesel engines. The petrol mill will be tuned to churn out 83hp of power and 113Nm of torque while the diesel unit will develop 75hp of power and 190Nm of torque.
The bookings for the new Swift are open and will be available in showrooms from February. The new avatar of the Swift will come with a wheelbase of 2,450 mm and offer a ground clearance of 163 mm. To be offered in LXi/LDi, VXi/VDi, ZXi/ZDi, and ZDi+/ZXi+ variants, the new Swift will come with features like LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs, LED tail lamps, 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel and steering-mounted audio and phone controls, USB, Aux-in and Bluetooth.
New Maruti Suzuki Ertiga facelift
Maruti Suzuki has been testing the new Ertiga in India and is expected to launch the new MPV in the second half 2018. The new Ertiga is expected to be bigger in size with changes in the front and rear. Like the new Swift and Dzire, the facelift version of the Ertiga MPV could also be based on the lighter Heartect platform.
As far as the powertrains in the new Ertiga are concerned, the new indigenous 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine is likely to replace the 1.3-litre mill in the current model. The current 1.3-litre multi-jet diesel engine develops 89bhp of power and 200Nm of torque; it also gets the SHVS small hybrid system. The 1.4-litre K Series petrol engine petrol engine is likely to be continued as it is. Currently, the petrol engine produces 94bhp and 130Nm and comes mated to a five-speed transmission.
New Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Maruti Suzuki's premium sedan Ciaz is in line for a facelift. The new facelifted Ciaz has been undergoing testing in India and we expect it to be showcased at the Auto Expo in February. The new Ciaz is likely to get new front grille, updated front and rear bumpers, new headlamps, LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs), fog lamps, among other futuristic updates. The cabin could also get changes in line with the exterior upgrades.
Under the hood, the Ciaz now comes with the option of 1,373cc petrol and a 1,248cc diesel mills in India. The current petrol unit develops 91bhp at 6,000rpm and 130Nm of torque at 4,000rpm mated to five-speed manual transmission and the diesel unit comes equipped with a small hybrid system which produces 89bhp at 4,000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1,750rpm. The engines are likely to be retained.
New Maruti Suzuki WagonR
Maruti Suzuki's WagonR, the tall-boy hatchback is expected to get a facelift this year. The design of the new WagonR most likely to be in line with new WagonR and WagonR Stingray models unveiled in 2017 at Suzuki's home market in Japan.
The WagonR in its new avatar may get changes at the front and rear, including new front grille highlighted with chrome elements and flanked by new squarish headlamps. The model in Japan features reworked front bumper and comes with a large air dam. Inside, the WagonR has a new beige dashboard with centre-mounted instrument cluster and a tablet-sized touch-screen infotainment system.
