[sidindica]

The Fiat Sedici is a rebadged Sx 4 hatch in actual.

[ampere]

My only doubt is why should a dealer have this model?
No road-tests/trial runs have also been reported.

But nevertheless it would be one of the best buys.

I think how ever its time Maruti starts thinking outside the 1.3L diesel.
May be for the cross over it would be nice, but for how long they keep using the same engine.

[volkman10]

Is this the beginning of a Suzuki - Fiat alliance in India as speculated recently?

The Fiat-Tata union isn't binding, and talk has now centered around Fiat snuggling up with Suzuki. Suzuki has a huge position in Asia, Suzuki-Maruti being India's largest carmaker and the Japanese firm having sold more than half its cars in the Asia region, excluding Japan, over the year that ended March 31. Fiat, on the other hand, only sold three percent of its wares in Asia in 2011

Suzuki cozying up with Fiat?

[avingodb]

I also saw this as a Suzuki hatch in Beijing last year and was struck by its sporty looks and proportionality and wondered why it did not make its way to India. I will certainly be one of its customers if and when it comes to India, of course subject to right stuff inside and right pricing!

[vb-saan]

That’s a good catch – SX4 hatchback at the Maruti dealer. Actually this is an ideal time for this car to get into India. Small cross-overs are finding favor with the buyers, and the booted Indian version anyway is not selling much.

I don’t think there is much to read this as a potential Fiat-Suzuki alliance for India. I mean, Sedici/SX4 is in the international market from 2005 (Fiat branding for the European markets, and Sx4 for Asia).

But yes, this car does look and feel very European, probably because it came from Giorgetto Giugiaro’s deisgn studio.

[shankar.balan]

Incidentally VB - the SX4 is known as the Suzuki SX4 in both Oz and the UK. Ive seen them in their hatch avatars with 4x4 badged as SX4s.

The Euro/ International Spec car is better than the one here because it incorporates several other reinforcing safety stuff for those markets, whereas here, it is differently specced, to save on costs and keep the price lower.

Yes, it will be a good time for the SX4 hatch to hit our shores and preferably with a 4x4 variant. Its a very practical an good car!

Originally Posted by vb-san

I mean, Sedici/SX4 is in the international market from 2005 (Fiat branding for the European markets, and Sx4 for Asia).

But yes, this car does look and feel very European, probably because it came from Giorgetto Giugiaro’s deisgn studio.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Incidentally VB - the SX4 is known as the Suzuki SX4 in both Oz and the UK. Ive seen them in their hatch avatars with 4x4 badged as SX4s.

Thanks for the correction Shankar. I should have mentioned Non-Suzuki-friendly markets.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The Euro/ International Spec car is better than the one here because it incorporates several other reinforcing safety stuff for those markets, whereas here, it is differently specced, to save on costs and keep the price lower.

Definitely. But that’s not something specific to the SX4. There maybe a few exceptions, but in majority of cases, international safety standards get into our cars only from the C+, D-Segment cars (e.g.; Yeti, Jetta, Superb etc.)

[vibbs]

Instead of getting the hatch here, how about designing a crossover based on modified SX4 platform(anyways Suzuki has quite an expertise in modifying platforms)? A crossover between 10 -13 lakhs with may be 4X4 capability in the higher end could be a decent proposition I guess. Anyways Suzuki does have decent expertise in off road capable vehicles. The gypsy and even the Grand Vitara are a testimony to this fact. I m sure Vitara owners here will swear by the capabilities of the vehicle. If Suzuki can transfer some of those to the crossover, it would be a smashing combination I think. Then get rid of the SX 4 completely. That will give them two UVs in two segments. The ertiga till 10 and the new xover between 10 and 13 perhaps. I think it's time maruti designs an SUV/crossover for solely for one of their major markets, India.

[ACM]

^^
The SX4 comes from a platform that already provides an SUV (softroader) though not a 7 seater crossover.

Well if they can create the Ertiga almost out of nothing using actual components and styling bits from the various cars in their kitty then an SX4 based crossover too is not impossible though not that probable as it would take them into a higher priced segment - a cost / price segment where they have yet not done well in India.

[2cents]

I don't understand the title. What was ever there about the Fabia to be killed!?

Now to the topic - The Ertiga is nothing more than a big hatch! Will Maruti do a SX4 hatch? Perhaps yes, being Maruti/Suzuki.

[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by ACM

The SX4 comes from a platform that already provides an SUV (softroader) though not a 7 seater crossover.

You must be thinking of something similar to the Mercedes ML350/ML500. I'm not sure if there's a duty that applies as a slab-based system beyond 4m length, but I imagine that when the length is increased, buyers looking for vehicles to drive themselves would not be as interested though there has been a greater acceptance of larger vehicles over the past few years.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by 2cents

I don't understand the title. What was ever there about the Fabia to be killed!?

I agree, the title is quite misleading

Originally Posted by 2cents

Now to the topic - The Ertiga is nothing more than a big hatch! Will Maruti do a SX4 hatch? Perhaps yes, being Maruti/Suzuki.

SX4 was born in the hatchback/crossover avatar, but knowing our affinity to sedans, Maruti got it to India with a boot. Infact the hatchback is a much better looking car.

[audioholic]

IMO, I think the car was just doing rounds after giving show in the auto expo '12. I strongly feel that MSIL is trying to give the sedan an equipment upgrade taking the hatch as a model car rather than thinking of introducing the hatch version. The car is good in most aspects, except that its equipment list is not so good in todays times, for which it was a leader when launched. Hence MSIL might be in the process of copy-pasting bits and pieces from the imported hatchback.

[Keralite]

It's raining compact SUV's.....

Renault's DUSTER, Ford's ECOSPORT and some medias report that another compact SUV is in in the pipeline from Chevrolet's Sable! RIO is already there.

Don't you think, it's the right time for Maruti to bring in their SX4 Crossover to India with the power 1.6 multijet diesel engine.

Maruti is in upgrdation-drive for quite some time now giving facelifts to almost all their models, but poor SX4 is untouched and there are no news on that. Even the new Ritz is on the way.

I have a strong feeling that they may launch its Crossover version India in the near future.

If they surprise us the way they did with ERTIGA, nothing like that...!

Friends, any thought....?

[arjab]

The Suzuki SX-4 / FIAT Sedici Crossover is a competent vehicle. It may not ooze desirability or excellence like some other (albeit more expensive) Euro & Jap competing crossover's, but it gets the job done. In the European markets where it sells, in limited numbers, it has a "ho-hum" image.

Cannot comment for sure whether Maruti will bring it in because the SX-4 will be in any case replaced in 2014-15 , so it may not make business sense to bring in the existing Crossover - but rather launch such a version off the new version.

Also the history of crossover's have been patchy in India : remember the Fiat Adventure Sport, the brilliant, short lived Chevrolet (Subaru) Forester and more recently the Skoda Fabia Scout ? Good cars but the concept simply did not latch on to customers.