Maruti Suzuki to launch three new models in 2017-2018

India's biggest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki has been on a roll and going by its future plans, the momentum it's gained shows no sign of abating. After launching the much anticipated Dzire compact sedan, the company has three new launches in the pipeline.

2017 Swift

The Swift has been a resounding success in the Indian automotive space ever since its launch in India. The compact dimensions, peppy engines and playful character struck a chord with the Indian buyer and successive upgrades and model changes have kept the sales numbers ticking. The current generation Swift, however, has grown too long in the tooth and its replacement is imminent.

The third generation Swift was unveiled in December last year and was also showcased at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. It will be launched in India soon, and it looks like Maruti Suzuki may have a winner again.

The new Swift shares the same Heartect platform that also underpins the successful Baleno hatchback. This means significant weight savings over the previous-generation Swift. It's also said that the new Swift may weigh less than the Baleno.

The wheelbase has increased by 20mm which takes care of the previous Swift's biggest drawbacks, rear passenger space. The boot volume too has gone up by 54 litres to 265 litres.

The car is loaded to the gills with features, ranging from climate control to touchscreen navigation and a lot more. With regards to safety, expect the Swift to feature  ABS and dual airbags as standard across variants.

The styling, although brand new, looks a lot like an evolution of the previous generation Swift. That said, it does look quite good and the familiar design cues should help customers relate to the brand.

The Swift is expected to be priced about Rs 50,000- Rs 70,000 more than the previous generation Swift.

  Vitara Brezza petrol

The Vitara Brezza is a success story that even Maruti Suzuki, probably never dreamed of. The amount of bookings it has received for its compact SUV is far higher that what it can produce, and that's why the waiting period for the Brezza runs into months. What's also astonishing is that Maruti Suzuki offers the Brezza with the 1.3-litre diesel motor only. Maruti Suzuki will now launch a petrol powered Vitara Brezza in the coming months. Speculation has been rife about the engine displacement, and its anybody's guess as to which engine would Maruti Suzuki plonk into the Brezza. It could either opt for the 1.2-litre engine that currently powers most Maruti Suzukis. It could also put the Boosterjet engine that powers the Baleno RS. Pumping out over 100 horses, the engine would make the perfect match to the handling dynamics of the Brezza.

Expect the petrol Brezza to cost Rs 60,000 to Rs 1,00,000 less than the diesel variant.

S-Cross facelift

The S-Cross has received a lukewarm response from the market, ever since it was launched. There were a number of factors that were responsible for it not doing well , however, the new facelift aims to inject a fresh lease of life to the S-Cross.

For 2017 the S-Cross will get revised styling, with a new grille and a tweaked headlamp shape as well as new LED combination lamps at the rear. Expect the interior to also receive a mild facelift with more equiped. The ground clearance may also go up slightly. Maruti Suzuki is expected to continue offering the same set of engines that are available in the current S-Cross.

The price may go up by Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 thousand, depending on the variant.