Maruti to unveil compact SUV FutureS at Auto Expo next month

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd will unveil its new compact car known as Concept FutureS at the Auto Expo in February 2018, according to a BSE filing.

Likely to be in the sub-4 metre segment, Concept FutureS is a compact car with SUV characteristics. In a statement, Maruti Suzuki said, "compact is beautiful, #ConceptFutureS beautifully carries forward this Suzuki slogan and creates its own positioning by breaking away from the conventional proportions of a compact car."

The concept Future S will definitely make it to production and is likely to hit roads in 2019. The company is betting big in this new segment.

A few design cues from the sketch reveal an upright stance, commanding higher seating and ground clearance, and a horizontal hood, giving it an aggressive stance and posture.

This new design will re-define the designs of all new and existing Maruti Suzuki cars and observers expect 2018 to be a year of facelifts along with the launch of new generation Maruti Suzuki Swift at the 2018 Auto Expo.

''We expect a vehicle like this from Maruti Suzuki as consumers are now looking for cars on similar lines. It should be launched in the short-term and will probably come out of the Gujarat plant. It should be sub-4-metre,'' Gaurav Vangaal, senior automotive forecasting analyst, told The Economic Times.

The urban SUV image is put together by the bold and upright front, with a A-pillar treatment that connects to the accent on the side sill, taut powerful shoulders and a raised rear volume, according to the filing.

The car will likely to compete with the Renault Kwid, which has been given attributes of an SUV and has sent the cash registers ringing for the Renault brand, and the Mahindra KUV 100.

Maruti's earlier crossover is the S-Cross that is over 4 metres and is based on its earlier SX-4 sedan platform that has been now discontinued.

C V Raman, senior executive director (engineering), Maruti Suzuki India, said, ''The increasing preference for UVs and their bold architecture inspired our design team to study a new character for compact cars. Concept FutureS could mark a distinctive shift in how compact cars are shaped and designed in India in the future.''

According to The Financial Express, the production version of the car will be built on the Suzuki's 'Heartect' platform that also underpins the Maruti Suzuki Baleno and new generation Maruti Suzuki Swift, and is likely to be powered by 1.2 litre petrol and 1.5 litre diesel engine options. The platform is expected to be adaptable to electric power train.