Maruti bets big on new S-Presso

PUNE: Maruti Suzuki, India’s biggest car maker, will launch what it calls ‘mini SUV S-Presso’ on September 30 to push sales during Navratri and Diwali with new products.

Amidst a slowdown in the automobile industry, Maruti is banking big on S-Presso and XL 6, a multi purpose vehicle, which it launched in August, for a revival in sales.

Maruti S-Presso will be its first small SUV-styled hatchback like the Renault Kwid to revolutionize the growing entry level car market in Asia’s third biggest economy.

The S-Presso will be powered Maruti’s upgraded, BS-6 emission compliant 1.0-litre K10B petrol engine. The car will be available in a total of 10 versions  such as Std, Std(O), LXi, LXi(O), VXi, VXi(O) and the range-topping VXi+.

ABS, driver-side airbag, rear parking sensors, seat-belt reminders, a digital speedometer and a speed alert system will be standard across the range.

The new car is indigenously conceived, designed and developed for India as well as the world.

Auto experts said the S-Presso is likely to be aggressively priced between Rs 3.3 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh.

Maruti Suzuki is hoping its latest offering, designed to appeal to millions of SUV-desiring, first-time car buyers, would be a runaway hit in the country.

“Today's youthful customers desire a reflection of their personality in the products they own,” Shashank Srivastava, executive director, sales and marketing at Maruti Suzuki India, said.

“Our internal research suggests that the criteria of buying a car for the youth, apart from affordability, acquisition cost and maintenance, now also include design and aesthetics,” he pointed out.

Srivastava said with mini SUV S-Presso, the company offered a unique, premium, feature-rich and bold car that would disrupt the entry car segment in the country.