The Hindu Business Line : Maruti gearing up to launch three-box car this year

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Chennai March 2 In the past, Maruti Udyog has been slotted into the small car segment and customers have been reluctant to buy bigger cars from the market leader. And rightfully so, after all, the company's strategy has hinged on its ability to manufacture small cars that are affordable and further, its only offerings in the sedan segment has been the unexciting duo of Esteem and Baleno.

All that is about to change, as Suzuki readies to launch a brand new three-box car called the SX4 sedan in India later this year. The SX4 sedan could be Maruti's biggest and best hope of breaking into the three-box segment.

The SX4 is based on a new platform developed by Suzuki and is already sold as a hatchback model in a few markets, including Japan. The car will feature an aggressive, yet elegant exterior design, with compact dimensions that has enabled the designers to get enough leverage to maximise interior space.

Replacing Baleno

Maruti has recently phased out its ageing and not so successful Baleno sedan. The company is unlikely to borrow the Baleno brand for the new SX4 sedan, though the new car will essentially replace the old model in terms of positioning. The SX4 sedan will have no mechanicals in common with the Baleno.

The new sedan will be launched with an all-new 1.6-litre petrol engine and possibly with the same 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine that is currently being offered with the Swift. The SX4 sedan will be Suzuki's second world car after the Swift. The first exclusive official photographs of the SX4 sedan show it to be a car with a high stance and muscular lines, very similar to the Swift in terms of attitude and appeal.

The SX4 sedan is expected to be unveiled in India by May and Maruti will be looking to replicate the Swift's success with this new sedan. With industry rumours talking of the possibility of the Swift's platform also being used for a three-box sedan, Maruti's portfolio could soon have a couple of strong contenders in the sedan segment.

A3 segment

The new Maruti SX4 sedan will be built at Maruti's new manufacturing facility at Manesar, near Delhi.

It will be offered in the A3 segment, which currently accounts for about 15 per cent of the Indian passenger car market.

Depending on trim level, pricing is expected to be in the range of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh. Suzuki has chosen to launch the sedan version of the SX4 only in the Indian and Chinese markets.

The SX4 was originally designed and developed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign for Fiat and was in the form of a compact SUV called the Sedici. The Suzuki-Fiat alliance has also led to the platform being used by both the companies for a SX4 hatch and now the sedan.

The SX4 Sedan, Maruti's next car model, will be showcased at the prestigious Geneva Motor show starting next week.

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