The upcoming YRA premium hatchback from Maruti Suzuki will be very different to the Swift in terms of character but will be positioned above it in the company’s growing portfolio of vehicles.
The Maruti Suzuki YRA is a premium hatchback whose pictures have leaked multiple times, revealing the design of the car. While first impressions seem far from positive, the car will be vastly different from the Swift. The design at the front seems to be inspired from the Swift to quite an extent with those headlights being too similar. The length of the car will be a tad under the 4-metre mark while the rear has tail lights similar to the long time discontinued Baleno Altura. The vehicle will make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015.
Technical details of the Suzuki YRA remain a mystery but we all know diesel power will come from the Fiat sourced 1.3-litre Multijet engine, producing 90 HP and 200 Nm. Petrol power in India will come from the same 1.2-litre K-Series motor while globally Suzuki will plonk in a new 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit. Some more details have emerged courtesy of Dale Wyatt who is the sales and marketing head of Suzuki UK. He says the YRA “will answer all the reasons not to buy a Swift” which means that all shortcomings of the Swift will be addressed in the YRA hatchback.
One of the biggest drawback of the Swift is the lack of rear seat space and a super small boot. The YRA will come with a generous cabin and a big trunk which will make it very practical for use with rear passengers and luggage. Mr. Wyatt also states that the Swift is a driver’s car but the YRA won’t be as driver centric, it will be focussed on comfort. The YRA will weigh 90 kgs less than the Swift which means all the learnings from the Ciaz will come in play. The C-segment car from Maruti is the lightest in its class and boasts of the best mileage in the segment. The company has used high tensile steel which will also find its way to the YRA.
In order to achieve best in class mileage and performance, the Suzuki YRA’s lightness will play a crucial role. Set to rival in the premium hatchback space (or mini MPV globally), the YRA will lock horns with the Hyundai Elite i20 and the upcoming Honda Jazz. It will be launched in India by mid-2015, priced at a premium of Rs. 70-90,000/- over the popular selling Swift.
Source – Auto Express & Raid101.com
