Asia’s largest automotive show, the Auto Expo, is all set to make its return in January 2023 after a three-year hiatus forced on by the COVID-19 epidemic. This year’s event will take place from January 13 to January 18 at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
And reportedly the country’s largest automotive manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Limited will be taking over the entire show by showcasing around 16 vehicles at its booth. The biggest highlight for MSIL will be its unveiling of an Electric Concept and a range of SUVs. It is widely believed that the automaker will be debuting the production version of the project YTB, aka Baleno Cross along with the 5 door Jimny and a highly anticipated all-electric.
Jimny Five-door
First off lets talk about one of the most anticipated models from MSIL, the lifestyle off-roader five door Jimny. The SUV has been in rumors and sightings for god knows how long but after so much of waiting the SUV will finally be here. Maruti Suzuki will be finally taking the covers off of the new SUV in the Auto Expo 2023, however the official launch will not be taking place until much later in August of this year.
Reportedly the company is gunning for a monsoon launch as the monsoon season is regarded by aficionados as the off-road season and bringing it to the market in that period will enhance its popularity even further. Maruti Suzuki aims to produce around 5000-6000 units of the five door Jimny every month. If it does achieve this feat then it will become a nightmare for the Thar five-door which is also around the corner.
YTB – Baleno Cross
Another vehicle that has been in the rumors for a long time could be getting an official unveil in the forthcoming Auto Expo. Maruti Suzuki announced that it will be removing the sheets off of a range of SUVs and one of them could be the Baleno Cross which has been codenamed the YTB. Recently a set renderings of this forthcoming crossover were shared and from them we can note that it will be a more robust looking vehicle.
The Grand Vitara will be a major design influence on the new Baleno Cross, and the digital drawings suggest a sub-four-meter small SUV that resembles a shrunken-down Grand Vitara from both the front and the back. Maruti Suzuki is aiming to capture the hatchback crossover market which currently has the Renault Kiger, Citroen C3, Nissan Magnite, and Tata Punch competing in it.
New Electric SUV Concept
Another one of the major highlights for the Indo-Japanese brand in this Auto Expo will be the uveiling of the company’s first fully electric concept vehicle. This all-new electric concept will be an SUV and it will help the brand in garnering the attention of people to the company’s vision of greener and more sustainable future.
This all-electric SUV, currently going through the codename YY8, is expected to be as large as the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. Reportedly the model will be officially launched in 2025 but for now we will have the glimpse of the SUV in a concept phase. Maruti Suzuki’s first all-electric car in India will be this production-spec SUV, which is anticipated to compete with SUVs like the Nexon EV Max and Mahindra XUV400.
For the upcoming Auto Expo 2023, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “For Over 4 decades, Maruti Suzuki has been consistently bringing the joy of mobility to customers through industry-defining products and technologies. Auto Expo’23 is yet another opportunity for us to showcase our commitment towards the future of mobility through our range of sustainable & technology driven products. Our showcases at Auto Expo’23 will highlight Maruti Suzuki’s commitment towards cleaner, greener, sustainable and carbon neutral offerings for tomorrow. We are confident that our range of all-new SUVs, futuristic Concept EV, Hybrid, flex-fuel prototype and products will capture the imagination of enthusiasts.”
