Maruti’s S-Cross Facelift Will Feature a Mild-Hybrid System

The larger 1.6-litre diesel will be discontinued.

Suzuki’s mild hybrid tech is already offered on the Ertiga and Ciaz, and now, the S-Cross will be the latest recipient of the company’s smart hybrid technology. The hybrid system will supposedly see a 7 percent improvement in fuel efficiency - the benefits will be mainly in the city, where the start-stop system will be used the most.

This 1.3-litre diesel hybrid engine will be the only engine option now, with Maruti deciding to pull the 1.6 diesel out of the car. The 1.6-litre unit is sourced from Fiat and it found few takers due to its high price-tag. There will be no petrol engine on offer.

The addition of this hybrid technology is likely to raise the price of the S-Cross, courtesy the Government’s withdrawal of all hybrid sops under the GST implementation. The recent additional cess on larger cars may also impact the S-Cross’ final price.

The facelifted car features an updated nose, and more upright grille that’s larger and comes with chrome fittings. The chin is more aggressive as well, and the car will get a new bonnet and new-design alloy wheels as well. The top-spec Alpha version of the car will feature LED projector lens headlamps with black inserts. The cabin features new upholstery and there will be minor equipment upgrades as well.

Maruti has already started accepting booking for this model at its Nexa outlets and the car is expected to launch sometime at the end of this month.