Maruti Suzuki discontinues lower variants of S-Cross 1.6

Maruti Suzuki discontinues Delta and Zeta variants of the S-Cross 1.6. It's offered only in the top-spec Alpha trim now. 

Owing to the low demand of the S-Cross 1.6, Maruti Suzuki has discontinued the lower variants of the car. This means the S-Cross 1.6 will only be sold in the top-spec Alpha trim  from now on. The lower powered S-Cross 1.3 will continue to be offered in three variants, namely – Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

At the time of its launch (August 2015), the S-Cross was offered with two diesel engine options – 1.6-litre and 1.3-litre.  The S-Cross 1.6 was initially offered in three variants Delta, Zeta and Alpha. Now, though, the company has pulled the plug on the Delta and Zeta variants. The reason behind doing that is quite apparent since the S-Cross has been a slow-seller for the manufacturer, especially the 1.6 version. In the past 6 months, sales of the S-Cross average out at around 1,500-2,000 units per month - which are also majorly  coming from the 1.3 version.

Having said that, the 1.6 derivative should still be your pick of the lot if you’re after performance. That’s because it's propelled by a 1,598cc turbo diesel engine that churns out 118bhp of maximum power along with a twisting force of 320Nm! The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox that channels drive to front-wheels.

The S-Cross 1.6 Alpha is priced at Rs 12.03 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes fully loaded with features such as a touch infotainment system, cruise control, projector headlamps, auto-headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, parking camera, engine push start/stop, etc. Considering all the bells and whistles it packs, the S-Cross 1.6 is a great value for money proposition - albeit only for people looking for that extra bit of performance. For a regular Joe, the S-Cross 1.3 still makes more sense, priced between Rs 8.78 lakh and Rs 10.63 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Maruti Suzuki is also expected to bring in the S-Cross facelift to the country sometime later this year. The 2017 S-Cross has been given a thorough makeover on the inside out, although mechanically it’s most likely going be unchanged.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki updates the S-Cross and Baleno