Maruti has been testing its direct rival to the Ford EcoSport, the new compact SUV (codenamed: YBA) since a year. The YBA will put Maruti in one of India's most booming segments, which currently has players such as the Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300. It will be positioned below the S-Cross crossover in Maruti’s line-up. However, whether this model will be sold via the “standard” Maruti dealerships or the premium Nexa outlets is yet to be confirmed.

 

The Maruti YBA compact SUV will be under four metres long and, as seen in earlier spy pictures, the exterior styling will make it appear muscular. An older set of spy pics suggests that its styling will be heavily inspired by the Suzuki Vitara SUV sold internationally. It retains the tapering windowline, angular tail-lamps and the ‘open-mouthed’ lower air dam. The new SUV’s grill will get chrome treatment as seen on the S-Cross crossover. Overall, the YBA’s look is a good mix of sporty and rugged. The wheel arches don’t have excessive cladding, the windscreen is steeply raked back and, thanks to a floating C-pillar, the glasshouse gets a cockpit-like look.

On the insides, the YBA will come loaded with features. One can safely expect equipment like Maruti’s SmartPlay system to make its way in the higher trims of the YBA. Also, the top variants will come with stylish 16-inch alloys, which can be seen in the spy pics. The interiors on these test mules was all-black.

 

This new SUV will be powered by Maruti’s existing range of petrol and diesel engines. This could well range from the 1.2- and 1.4-litre petrol engines and the tried-and-tested Fiat-derived 1.3-litre diesel. It was earlier revealed that this new SUV will be the first Maruti to debut with the company’s in-house diesel engine, but this new motor will make its way in the YBA sometime in the future, probably with the model’s mid-cycle facelift which can be expected in two-three years after the launch.

 

There is no confirmation on the new SUV’s real name as of now. Our sources, however, tell us that it could be called the Maruti iV-4 upon launch. As seen on the Baleno, one can safely expect an aggressive price for this compact SUV when it hits Indian shores next year.