The moment anyone mentions Maruti Suzuki XA Alpha, words like speculation, exciting prospect and rumours come to mind. Such has been the hype generated by this model, which has still no definitive entry date in the Indian market. The second half of 2013 was spent in speculation that the success of Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster has buoyed Maruti Suzuki and the firm is going to launch its own Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) sooner than expected. In fact, some officials from Maruti Suzuki had even gone on to suggest that the firm has fast tracked the process of manufacturing but there were no end results to substantiate those claims. However, rumours mills, in the past few weeks, have been rife with speculations that Maruti Suzuki XA Alpha might actually see the daylight of showrooms in 2015.
Showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo, XA Alpha is one of the more ambitious projects from India’s number one passenger car manufacturer. It is quite surprising that Maruti Suzuki is yet to enter the SUV segment, which has grown manifold in the past few years. However, since the prototype of the XA Alpha was showcased in 2012 Auto Expo, the excitement has been quite high regarding the prospective launch of the production model.
The sustained success of Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport, according to reports, has been key factors in rekindling Maruti Suzuki’s ambition to launch XA Alpha, which has an interesting etymology. X denotes the crossover category while ‘A’ stands for the design made for buyers of the utility vehicle segment. In addition, Alpha, according to reports, represents Maruti Suzuki’s first vehicle in this segment, which makes for quite an interesting nomenclature. The inspiration does not end there as the design of this car has been inspired from the build of Indian wrestlers with the headlamps and tail lamps symbolic of their muscles.
Though nothing has been said officially, reports claim that Maruti Suzuki XA Alpha could finally make its way to the market by the end of 2015. Also, it is widely expected that this compact SUV will be available in both diesel and petrol options. Industry experts feel that the moment this car is launched in India, it will directly rival the Ford EcoSport, challenging its dominance. Maruti Suzuki is has an excellent image with customers in India and this car could mark its grand entry into to compact utility vehicle segment, which will only grow in coming years.
