Auto Expo 2018 – not only will Maruti be launching the new Maruti Swift, which will be the highlight of its stall, but it is also showcasing a new concept compact SUV. It has released a teaser silhouette image of what this Future-S Concept will look like.
The Maruti Future-S Concept is a likely platform progression from the company. It is currently building the new Swift, the Dzire and Baleno on the ‘Heartect’ or fifth-generation B-platform. This is a modular platform that can accommodate different body styles from a hatchback to sedan to a compact SUV.
The Future-S is likely to be built on the same platform, judging by its relative size and curvy design. The Future-S is nearly 200 mm smaller in length than the popular Maruti Vitara Brezza compact SUV, which is itself under four-metres long.
The Future-S will target a customer segment below the Maruti Vitara Brezza – a space where the likes of the Mahindra KUV100 is present, and also competing with some variants of the Tata Nexon.
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The Future-S Concept will be a micro SUV that has typical SUV characteristics of high ground clearance and a high upright seating position. No details about engine options have been revealed, but by looking at what Maruti has in its portfolio and what it is developing, one can can figure out what will be on offer.
The micro SUV is likely to have a 1.2 litre, four-cylinder petrol motor, and also a 1.5-litre diesel motor that is currently being developed by Maruti. Currently, Maruti uses a 1.3 litre multi-jet diesel engine sourced from Fiat across its range of vehicles, from Ignis to the S-Cross and everything in between.
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