Maruti Suzuki has said that it will put a concept Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) on display at the upcoming 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo. The company has already put a few cropped images of the concept car on the Expo section of its official website to entice the target audience. Going by the looks, it seems that the new concept car has been inspired by the iconic Gypsy and is expected to compete with the Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport.
Going by the teaser put up by the manufacturer on its website, the concept car should have individual rectangular grilles placed together as well as robot-eyed lamps. Along with these, the flash slideshow displayed on the website also showcases star-shaped alloys and L-shaped tail lights.
The grille is quite similar to the one used in the current Jimny and Gypsy and there are no other compact SUVs in Maruti's line-up. This has given rise to speculations that the new model, when launched, will replace the Gypsy and Jimny in domestic and foreign markets, respectively. It is expected that the final version of the car will roll out by the time 2014 Auto Expo is here. The company should do well by tapping into the potential of the Gypsy, which enjoys a cult status in India and is known for its reliability and endurance.
It is advisable that Maruti Suzuki should develop the upcoming compact SUV using parts of its Swift. Ertiga, the Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) being exhibited by the manufacturer at the Expo, already shares components with Swift. Component sharing is a proven method of enjoying added cost benefits and lowering development time. Volkswagen Group is already expected to save billions of dollars in manufacturing operations by using common components bin for 40 models in the coming 7 years.
