In the recent times, the Indian car market has witnessed the launch of various compact Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) owing to their ever-increasing demand. The company that has derived huge revenues from this recent spurt has been Renault, which has actively sold numerous units of Duster in the past months. The response meted out to Duster has been such that major car makers are planning to capitalise on the growing demand of compact SUVs in India. The leading car company of India, Maruti Suzuki is following the same trend and will be launching a compact SUV based on the XA Alpha concept. The car is expected to take the market by storm owing to its attractive appearance and power packed features.
Once the car makes its headway in India, it will offer tough competition to segment leaders like Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport. On the highlights of the compact SUV of Maruti Suzuki will be its overall appearance that seems quite centred on a monocoque frame. On the exteriors, the car exhibits a muscular stance owing to its protruding wheel arches and the neatly chiselled bonnet lines. Alto to mention, the five slats chrome grille present at the front carries the logo of Suzuki at the front.
It is believed that XA Alpha based compact SUV will be equipped with a automatic air-condition system, which adjusts itself in order to maintain a stable temperature inside the car. The feature is provided on a lot of vehicles that are manufactured by Maruti Suzuki. However, this feature might only be provided on the top-end trim level of the upcoming car. Another exciting new feature of XA Alpha based compact SUV will be the electrically adjustable and folding outside rear view mirrors, in which the driver can adjust the settings according to preferences.
For safety and security, the car will come equipped with a Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) so as to give the driver a firm control over the car whenever it skids off the track. Also to mention, the availability of airbags lends a much needed safety for the passengers. Furthermore, the rear parking sensors will assist the driver in parking the vehicle on tight spots. This feature alerts the driver when the car gets close an object, currently this functionality is provided on higher-end models manufactured by Maruti Suzuki and XA Alpha would soon be joining the list.
The chances of getting steering mounted audio controls XA Alpha based compact SUV are high as this function is provided in most vehicles of Maruti Suzuki. However, what remains uncertain is the availability of sunroof as this feature is only provided on highly priced vehicles of the company. To give a premium luxury feel, the upcoming compact SUV of the leading passenger car maker will get the leather upholstered seats to give utmost comfort for the passengers. Apart from it, the retractable rear seats, rear armrest with cup holders and remote boot will also make way on the long list of features given in the car.
The car will be available in powerful petrol and diesel engine configurations. The petrol version of the compact SUV will be powered by the K-Series powertrain whereas the diesel one shall get the 1.3-litre DDiS engine, developed by Fiat. Owing to these powerful engines the car is expected to possess the ability to clock maximum speed of 180 kmph. Since the car will be largely based on SUV design, it will come in options of choosing from 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive. In order to switch between the two different models when travelling on roughest of terrains, the car will provided with a drive select feature on the central console.
Last but not the least, the best-in-class fuel efficiency of XA Alpha based compact SUV makes it as one of the strongest competitors in the compact SUV segment. The highly rewarding petrol and diesel powertrains of the car will give away exceptional mileage of around 12-14 kmpl on city roads.
