Maruti Suzuki Future-S Unveiled At Auto Expo 2018

Clearly, us Indians can’t get enough of SUVs, and market leader Maruti Suzuki intends to give us what we want! That brings us to what undoubtedly is the star of the Maruti Suzuki pavilion at the Auto Expo 2018 – the Concept Future-S. 

For reference, the Brezza measures 3995mm in length and the Ignis crossover is 3700mm long. Clearly, that leaves enough room for Maruti Suzuki to squeeze in another SUV or SUV-like offering between the Ignis and the Brezza. In terms of attitude, the Future S is closer to the Brezza rather than the Ignis, which is to say it looks more like a traditional SUV.

To cement its SUV credentials, the nose is flat and the bonnet is set high. Then there’s the contrast-coloured A-pillar that’s nearly upright and adds a square dimension to the otherwise flowy exterior design. The face looks quite imposing with the slim headlamps with the unique LED DRLS, the chunky foglamp surrounds and the tall skid plate lending a bucketful of aggression. The headlamps are connected by a slender grille which, interestingly, doesn’t house the Suzuki insignia. Instead, it sits on the bumper sandwiched between the grille and the well-sculpted air-dam.

There’s some more muscle in its appearance courtesy the flared wheel arches and the large wheels. The SUV gets suicide doors which add to the boldness of the overall design. The W theme continues over to the rear as they make an appearance on the all-LED taillamps. Maruti said the concept would be a “stimulating fusion of bold patterns and superior accent colours”, and the bold orange paint job does make a solid first impression. Now, going by our experience with earlier Maruti Suzuki concepts, we must point out that the chances of most of these design elements making its way to the production-spec SUV are rather slim.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Inside, the bold theme continues with the use of horizontal lines on the dashboard, along with chunky orange elements which flow onto the doors. The centrepiece of the interior is the spherical infotainment screen with layered interfaces which is placed on a carbon-finished centre console. 

If Maruti’s usual concept-to-production cycles are anything to go by, expect to see the road-ready avatar of the Future-S in a couple of years. As India shifts to BSVI emission norms in 2020, we can expect the engine lineup to use some form of hybrid powertrains, the possibility of the 1.2-litre petrol with hybrid tech cannot be ruled out. On the diesel front, Maruti Suzuki’s upcoming 1.5-litre diesel engine could find its way in the engine bay of the production-spec version. When launched, the production version of the Future-S is expected to be based on the lightweight Heartec platform.

The Future-S will eventually evolve into a “micro-SUV” (if you want to call it that) and slot underneath the Vitara Brezza. This means it will enter the ring to slug it out with the Mahindra KUV 100 and its own cousin, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis. The Future-S' production version is expected to be sold through Maruti's Arena showrooms in 2-3 years.