A small concept car called the Future-S was showcased by Maruti Suzuki at the 2018 Auto Expo. During development, the brand codenamed the car YK1 and now a production version of the car which is out testing is likely to be christened as the ‘S-Presso’ which is expected to be launched around the festive season of 2019 in India.
Though information on the small car is scarce, according to a media report, the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso is expected to be targeted at the younger audience and the car will draw its lines from the concept itself and is likely to get a dual tone exterior and cross over like styling. The interior will have a stylised dashboard with the top-spec variant boasting a touchscreen infotainment system. In terms of safety, the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso is likely to get dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, front driver and passenger seatbelt reminder, over speed alert, reverse parking sensors, etc, to conform with the new industry standard AN-145 safety norms.
The car could be a replacement to the ageing Alto, but is not likely to be sold under the same Alto marque, but as S-Presso with a possibility of the Maruti Suzuki Alto co-existing along with the S-Presso. Since the Alto has just got safety upgrades, we are sure that the most affordable hatchback will continue to remain on sale.
The car has already been spied with a fully camouflaged test mule and according to a report it is expected to be powered by a BSVI compliant 1.0-litre engine with a manual and automated manual transmission options.
The car is expected to be sold through Maruti Suzuki Arena outlets. Maruti Suzuki pays on an average 5% of its net sales as royalty to the parent company Suzuki, but with plans of developing domestic models, one every year, the royalty is expected to be reduced over time. Maruti Suzuki is expected to pay a royalty of less than 4% for the domestically built S-Presso.
Maruti Suzuki’s is facing a decline in its sales and hopes to gain momentum with the launch of the S-Presso which will be pitted against the Renault Kwid in the Indian market.