Report: P.Tharyan ; Photography: Mohd. Nasir
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
|
Engine
|
DDiS 320
DOHC 1598cc 4-cylinder diesel
|
Transmission
|
6-speed
manual
|
Power
|
118bhp @ 3750rpm
|
Torque
|
320Nm@1750rpm
|
Economy
|
22.7kmpl
|
Boot space
|
353 litres
and can be expanded to 810 litres
|
Ground clearance
|
180mm
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Suspension
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Front:
McPherson strut with coil spring
Rear: Torsion
beam with coil spring
|
Kerb weight
|
1250-1275
kg
|
Price (ex-showroom Delhi)
|
Rs 8 lakh (expected)
|
We all know
that Maruti Suzuki is an extremely strong brand. We also know that Maruti
Suzuki sells its products, not based on the number of cylinders carved out in
its engines, but the fuel efficiency the cars deliver, the affordable prices, the
easy availability of spares and service and its widespread network of
dealerships and service points. And we also know that the Maruti Suzuki story
is good as long as it is in the mass market arena. Step into the up market
world of expensive cars, Maruti Suzuki enters a shaky ground. But all that is
going to change, or so says the company.
Now with the
new S-Cross, the Maruti name takes a back seat and Suzuki gets a predominant
role to play. This new crossover is a Suzuki Cross or an S-Cross to be precise.
The new crossover from the company will be sold exclusively through Nexa
outlets that have sprung up across the country. There are 30 odd Nexa outlets already
ready, and more will come up in course of time. The would-be customers of the
S-Cross will have exclusive attention at these outlets. The company is promising
an out of the world experience when they go out to buy the S-Cross.
So what is
all the hype about the new S-Cross. We drove the crossover from Mumbai to Nashik
in Maharashtra, a distance of over 160km. It was a good enough distance to
check out its qualities. On the looks front, it does not have too much of the
oomph factor. It’s got a decent styling all over, with a lot of excitement in
its rear design, but the body lines could have been a little more exciting. One
look at the car, and we can make out it’s part of the Maruti Suzuki family. Is
that good? Yes and No. Yes, because when you are part of a family like Maruti
Suzuki, you are assured of a lot of good things like solid build, sound
engineering, good fuel efficiency, great sales and service, easy availability
of spare parts etc. But when you tell the world you are part of a standalone
family, and sell the car through the Nexa outlet of Suzuki, then expectations
are high and the customers are different. It’s like the young boy in a family trying
to set up a new home away from parents… it gets a bit difficult but they
eventually succeed.

Even though
the styling misses the great oomph factor, the S-Cross has everything else
right about it. The vehicle is being offered with only two engine options and
both are diesel. Personally I feel that a petrol mill should have also been
there because a crossover is still a sedan in a way and a lot of people prefer
a petrol mill in their cars even today even though a price difference still
exists between the petrol and diesel fuels.
With the
green lobby gunning for diesel vehicles and wanting to reduce their life span
in cities like Delhi, a petrol engine would have come as a great option for many
customers. Of the two diesel engines on offer, one is a DDiS 320 DOHC engine
with a capacity of 1598cc with four cylinders. It will deliver 118 bhp@3750 rpm
and a peak torque of 320Nm@1750 rpm. The
other engine, the DDiS 200 DOHC will be a 1248 cc with 4 cylinders. The engine
will deliver 88bhp @4000 rpm and a peak torque of 200 Nm@1750 rpm. The
crossover will come with a 2 wheel drive.
The DDiS 320
will have three variants – Delta, Zeta and Alpha, the DDiS 200 will have five
variants – Sigma, Sigma (O), Delta, Zeta and Alpha.
The vehicle
has an overall length of 4300mm, with a width of 1765 mm and an overall height
of 1590mm with roof rail. It will have a wheelbase of 2600mm and will have a
ground clearance of 180mm. While the 1.6 litre crossover will come with a 6
speed manual transmission, the 1.3 litre version will have a 5 speed manual
transmission. With a tyre size of 2015/60R16, the vehicle has McPherson strut
with coil spring for the front suspension and Torsion beam with coil spring for
the rear suspension.

The crossover
comes with special features like cruise control, rain sensing auto wiper, all
wheel disc brakes, auto IRVM, self adjusting clutch and fully synchronised
reverse gear mechanism and high intensity discharge projector headlamps with
auto function, among others. The S-Cross
has a smooth flowing roof line that slopes downward towards the rear.
Interior
features include smart play infotainment system with 18cm touch panel display,
Bluetooth, smart phone connectivity, navigation system. It will also have a premium meter cluster-
high definition TFT screen, rear parking sensor display, adjustable front
central arm, auto AC, tilt and telescopic leather steering wheel, etc. The
vehicle boasts of a boot space of 353 litres which can be increased to 810
litres when the rear seats are folded. It has a 60:40 rear seat split with two
step recline.
Even though
the car has a kind of plain Jane look in the front, its headlamps are smart,
but the bonnet and the grille could have been a tad more stylish. But as I looked
at it from all angles, I was quite impressed with its side and rear Profiles. The
rear, there is no doubt, looks very chic.
Like all
crossovers, the S-Cross too is based on a new sedan platform but has been
designed to make it look like an SUV.
Step inside
the S-Cross and you step into a chic environment. There is a great element of
freshness in the vehicle, be it its features, its inner fascia design, the TFT
screen, the leather seats, the tilt and telescopic leather steering wheel, etc.
It drives well too. The torque is very linear as one accelerates and the power
too is adequate to zip along. Gear movement too is very easy and efficient. In
July 2015 while Maruti Suzuki launches its S-Cross, its closest competitor Hyundai
Motor India will be launching the Creta, a compact kind of SUV. The latter is
definitely attractive.
But with the
S-Cross one can be assured of a lot of peace of mind and sound engineering. The
S-Cross will also score on the pricing front. It’s simple when it comes to the
S-Cross, it’s family for millions of Indians and there is nothing above FAMILY!
