Maruti Suzuki S-Cross facelift bookings officially open

Bookings for the updated S-Cross are open at Rs 11,000. Launch expected by end of September 2017. 

Order books for the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross face-lift are officially open now. The company’s Nexa dealerships have started accepting pre-orders for the refreshed crossover at a token amount of Rs 11,000. There’s no word on its launch date as yet, but Maruti Suzuki is expected to put it on sale well before the festive season – expect it to reach showroom floors by no later than the end of September 2017.

The updated S-Cross comes with some major design changes. Showcased first at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, the new S-Cross gets a completely new front fascia, featuring a bold new grille with vertical chrome slats, new projector headlamps with LED DRLs and a new bumper design. The side-profile is largely unchanged but it’ll get new alloy wheels. Around the back, changes are minimal, but now it gets slightly re-profiled tail-lamps with LEDs.

Inside, the design and layout will be more or less the same as the current car, albeit it’s expected to get a new upholstery and updated infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity options. Feature wise, expect the new version to be as well kitted-out as the outgoing model.

As for the engine options, the dealers are shying away from sharing the details. As per our sources, Maruti Suzuki is planning to junk the Fiat-sourced 1.6-litre diesel unit in the new model. This means the 1.3-litre diesel engine will only be the sole option for people buying the S-Cross. The engine specifications are unlikely to change as well. Power output should stay the same at 89bhp, along with a peak torque of 200Nm. Power transmission duties will be carried out by a five-speed gearbox.

Expect a minor bump in the prices of the S-Cross from now once the face-lift is launched. Prices, as a consequence, should be starting just above Rs 8 lakh mark(ex-showroom). Competition for the S-Cross will include the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano.