This is for first time the first spy pictures of Maruti’s new people mover RIII were surfaced on the internet by both the sites Team-bhp, As well as AutoCarIndia. Call it a van or a car, it is the latest launch from India’s most loved automaker.
There’ no doubt in our minds of this car’ identity – it is the RIII. The production model will not be branded RIII, but until the commercial name surfaces, we’ll term it RIII. The company had showcased a concept MPV dubbed the RIII at the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo that has all the features & attributes of a sedan.(See the above picture of 2010 Suzuki R3 Concept MPV)
AutoCarIndia Spotted-
This was shot by AutoCarIndia at Rajasthan, probably undergoing hot weather testing. Maruti’s latest baby is not a regular Suzuki model sold in other markets but one that has been designed and engineered in India for the Indian market.Based on a stretched Ritz platform, this new Maruti features three rows of seats, four regular doors and is likely to have a seating capacity of between six to seven passengers, depending on the configuration.
The design is not what we had expected. Maruti had shown the RIII MPV concept at the Auto Expo in 2010, but this car looks almost nothing like it. Yes, the large triangular headlights spillover the fenders in a similar manner, but apart from that the MPV and the R III concept have nothing in common. The design however is immediately recognizable as a Suzuki and the nose, with its large headlamps and horizontal slot like grille, in fact is very similar to the Ritz. The wide inlet under the bumper and the nacelles for fogs however are very different.
Look closely at the pictures and other details come into view. A corrugated roof has been used to increase strength, the rear windscreen wraps itself around the back for that ‘pillar-less’ look and the tiny tail-lamps seem to have been designed with cost rather than visibility in mind.
Look at the nose and you can also see the vertically aligned intercooler in the chin of the car, which of course means there will be a diesel version. And you can expect a more powerful version of the K-Series engine to power this car as well. Maruti could also do a CNG version of this car. What remains to be seen however is if it can keep the three rows of seats with the gas tank in place.
Due to the stretched wheelbase, this car is not likely to duck into the sub four meter small car class, and Maruti will be looking at a more premium customer with this car. So the interiors are expected to be as well specified as a Swift or Ritz and this will be a feature rich model as well. Bootspace on this Maruti for the extended family however won’t be great.
Maruti is currently looking at building a new plant to expand its capacity, and that’s something it will need when this car is launched towards the latter half of this year.
Team-bhp Spotted –
A Team-bhp member’s friend karthik at Delhi managed to click spy pictures of the rear, dashboard and seats of the upcoming Maruti Suzuki MPV (Multi-purpose vehicle) will have some of the design elements of the RIII concept and will likely be built on the SX4 sedan platform.
Sources say that Maruti Suzuki has developed this vehicle in-house and are planning to transport the vehicle to Japan for final testing before it is launched in India.
The spy photos hinted that the RIII model clicked was the top-end ZDI, diesel variant which had ABS, a rear windscreen wiper, steering mounted audio controls, premium upholstery and captain seats in the middle row.
The variant caught on camera appears spacious and will likely seat six people in the 2 +2 +2 seating arrangement, while the lower variants such as LDI and VDI might have flat middle rows for accommodating up to seven people in the 2+3+2 seating arrangement. The built quality of the MPV appears promising and well put together.
The ‘ZDI’ badge on the MPV’s rear shows that the MPV will definitely have a diesel version. There are high expectations that Maruti Suzuki uses the same 1.3 litre DDiS diesel engine that powers the diesel versions of the Swift, Ritz and SX4 cars in the upcoming SUV.
It is now a well known fact that Maruti Suzuki is planning to launch an MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) by the end of this year to take on the Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo.
Source – AutoCarIndia & Team-Bhp.com
