Maruti Suzuki iK2 Preview

Maruti Suzuki iK2 Preview

                                                               

                                                                  Maruti Suzuki iK2 Preview

Maruti Suzuki will enter a new segment in 2015 premium hatchbacks. Its first contender will be a four-metre plus hatchback which was shown in concept form at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show as the iK2. It has already been spotted testing on multiple occasions both in India and abroad where the latter’s sightings include an undisguised car.

Exterior

The YRA has the same standard Suzuki fascia but has been modeled using a combination of the Kizashi sedan and Swift hatchback. The pictures reveal the same sweptback headlights from the Swift but a new mesh grille and a V-shaped chrome base line running on the outer edge of the former. The air intake below the grille looks very similar to that of the VW Golf in terms of overall design but will most likely have a mesh design. Also included in the fascia is expected to be the LED light strip that debuted with facelifted Swift in 2013.

The side profile is one that is common to four-metre plus hatchbacks. It is charecterised by a long and low roofline with a significant amount of overhang at both ends. It appears to have a forward leaning stance with slightly flared wheel arches and a strong base line as well as a chrome line at the bottom of the windows that adds some strength and premium factor to the overall look. Across all variants, we expect this car to make use of R15s and R16s depending on alloy wheel or steel wheel.

Suzuki appears to have given the YRA a relatively small looking rear-end. The hatch lid sits on top of a rather fat bumper which seems to be out of proportion when compared to the rest of design. Suzuki appears to have hinged the glass forward while also fitting a roof- mounted spoiler and LED tail lamps.

Interior

The YRA will make use of a lot of existing parts from the Suzuki parts bin for the interior. We expect common seats, steering wheel, climate control/AC knobs and buttons, music system. However, what appears to be new for this car is the instrument panel which is expected to have a rather cool looking blue back light and in higher- spec models a colour display between the gauges. On the feature front, we expect a capacitive touchscreen, 2-DIN music system and maybe even some drivers aids like ABS+EBD as well as traction control.

We expect that the rear seats will fold flat to let the owners take full advantage of the extended boot. We also believe that Suzuki may offer features like rear AC vents and maybe even a screen for the rear passengers.

Engine and gearbox

It is expected to be offered with the 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engine for global markets but will make use of the 1.4-litre petrol engine and 1.3-litre Mutijet diesel engine for the India market. There is also a new three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine which has been dubbed the Boosterjet. It will have an output of around 120bhp. The five-speed manual is expected to be standard across all variants while there is also expected to be an AT version as well as an AMT version for markets like India.

Competition and Price

The YRA on a global scale will compete with the likes of the VW Golf, Renault Megane and the new European-spec Hyundai i20. However, in large volume heavy markets like in India, we believe that Maruti Suzuki will have a shock pricing by which we mean that they will be able to take advantage of economies of scale and price the YRA/iK2 as low as possible.

Editor : Vikas Arora

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