Maruti S-Cross To Face The Axe And Make Way For Upcoming Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki will discontinue the S-Cross soon and production of the crossover has ceased. This move has been done to pave the way for the carmaker’s new Creta-rivalling compact SUV, the Grand Vitara, which will be unveiled on July 20. The S-Cross has been on sale in India since 2015 and its journey wasn’t exactly smooth. 

Maruti first launched the S-Cross back in August 2015 and was the first model to be retailed at Maruti’s Nexa premium outlets. It brought a premium interior experience, plenty of practicality, solid high speed manners, and punchy diesel engines. But despite all that, the S-Cross didn’t manage to pull buyers due to its more hatchback-like styling, especially in front of competition like the Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster. 

Also, out of the 90PS 1.3-litre and 120PS 1.6-litre diesel engines, only the former was being admired by customers. Yes, the 1.6-litre Fiat-sourced was mighty fun to drive with its meaty midrange, but it carried a hefty premium over the smaller engine. That said, the 1.3-litre with its 90PS offered a good balance between performance and fuel efficiency. 

Maruti fixed things up with the facelift that came to India in 2017. The S-Cross wore bolder clothes and that attracted more buyers to the showroom. The 1.6-litre diesel engine was discontinued with the facelift, but that didn’t dent the S-Cross’ sales and from then on, the S-Cross remained pretty much unchanged until BS6 emission norms came. 

August 2020 is when the S-Cross got its next big update. Maruti giving up on diesels altogether for the BS6 era meant the S-Cross got the carmaker’s familiar 1.5-litre petrol engine. It also offered buyers convenience by getting the ancient, but smooth, 4-speed torque converter. That said, with users still preferring diesel power and more new generation SUVs which had entered the market, this one got a lukewarm response. 

Back to the current day and Maruti aims to take a shot at the compact SUV segment’s throne yet again, but this time with the new Grand Vitara. It will be Suzuki’s version of the newly revealed Toyota Hyryder and will come with strong-hybrid, as well as all-wheel drive options. Maruti is aiming to price it at around Rs 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom), putting it in contention with the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, MG Astor, and Skoda Kushaq.