The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is set to make its first appearance on June 7 at the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) to be held in Malaysia. Official launch is expected sometime later this year, and the car could be called the Across in the Indian market.

The S-Cross marks Maruti Suzuki’s entry into the rapidly growing crossover segment. It is expected to come with a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine. This unit, like the 1.3-litre diesel that does duty in other Marutis, will also be sourced from Fiat. It makes 118bhp and 32kgm of torque, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Cosmetically, the S-Cross is likely to have typical off-roader elements, like high ground clearance, black cladding and metal scuff plates at the front and rear. One can expect good levels of equipment on the S-cross, with kit like daytime-running lights and alloy wheels on the top-spec trims.

Upon launch, the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is likely to rival cars like the Renault Duster and the Nissan Terrano.

Suraj Kannan

Suzuki S-Cross review