Last month, Maruti Suzuki released a couple of teaser images of a concept car set to make its debut at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo. Media outlets around the world speculated that it would signal the end of the Suzuki Jimny, a small SUV that replaced the Samurai on global markets.
The wait is over and India’s largest auto company has just revealed the concept, called the XAα.
Mr. Shinzo Makanishi, the managing director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, said that “the Concept XAα is designed for a market of customers with a young urban lifestyle.”
That means that contrary to numerous reports, the XAα will not replace the Jimny. The two are not aimed at the same clientele: the Jimny caters to folks looking for a cheap and rugged offroader, and the XAα will be more of a chic, urban-dwelling SUV. It will fight in the same arena as the Ford EcoSport that was also revealed in New Delhi.
The production version of the XAα will be launched in the next year. Details are scarce, but the company has confirmed that two- and four-wheel drive versions of it will be available. Several Suzuki-sourced gas and diesel engines will be on the menu.
To benefit from tax breaks on smaller cars, designers have limited the concept’s length to 157 inches. The same rule is expected to be applied to the production model.
Maruti Suzuki is scheduled to reveal a second SUV called the Ertiga tomorrow. All of this is part of a huge product offensive carried out by the brand in an effort to capitalize on the Indian market’s growth, and to retain its spot as the number one auto maker in the country.
“India is set to become one of the top automobile markets of the world. This may become evident as early as the next Delhi Auto Expo,” said Nakanishi. He added that “Maruti Suzuki will lead India’s automobile growth and evolution by strengthening its compact car portfolio, entering new segments and creating new product categories across fuel options.”
