New Suzuki Vitara to debut at Paris
There is an unwritten rule that concepts displayed by manufacturers are quite different from their respective production spec models. However, that isn’t the case with Suzuki’s iV-4 concept which will be sold as the new Suzuki Vitara, all set to debut at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2014 (Paris Motor Show).
The first pictures from Suzuki suggest that the car will be more like the iV-4 concept displayed at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor show. The basic design of the car is typical SUV fare featuring higher ground clearance, big wheels, a long bonnet and a raised front bumper. The image also features the new Vitara in a new metallic paint finish, Brilliant Turquoise which was used on the concept last year. Suzuki is tight-lipped about the details regarding engines as well as dimensions. However, size-wise, the vehicle seems similar to the 4215mm length, 1850mm width, 1665mm height and a 2500mm wheelbase of the iV-4 concept.
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iV-4 Concept[/caption]
What Suzuki has confirmed is the vehicle will be available in front-wheel drive setup, while ALLGRIP intelligent four-wheel-drive will be available as an optional. The new Vitara is likely to employ the 1.6-litre petrol engine from the SX4 S-Cross which is also scheduled for India sometime next year.
Originally launched as Suzuki Escudo in 1998 as a compact sport utility and off-road vehicle, the SUV started using the Vitara name during the late 90’s. The third generation of the Grand Vitara is still on sale in India with a 2.4-litre engine. However, sales are limited owing to the dated design and high price. Suzuki is almost certainly bringing the compact SUV to India as reports suggest that it will be one of the two SUVs to launch in India before 2016. If Maruti Suzuki plans to start local manufacturing and source the engine from the SX4 S-Cross, the new Vitara will be much more competitively positioned than the current on-sale model. Pricing in the region of the Ford EcoSport (Rs 6.6–10.2 lakh) or Nissan’s Terrano (Rs 10–12.9 lakh) would be ideal and will fetch volume sales for the manufacturer.
