Suzuki APV launch in India soon, price Rs 4 l for petrol model

Suzuki APV launch in Jan 09, approx. price Rs 4 lac for petrol

As we near the Auto Expo 2010, more information about upcoming vehicles for India is coming in. The latest that we hear about is the so-called Suzuki APV, which will be a replacement for the now-discontinued Maruti Suzuki Versa in India.

Update: Maruti calls it Eco, oops, Eeco!

Suzuki APV photo

A lot of us remember the Maruti Versa only when we see it as a taxi, like in Delhi with Easycabs or Megacabs. The vehicle was always a good people carrier with two major deficiences – it did not have a diesel engine, and people carriers need to have a diesel engine in India. Secondly, while it was a MPV for all practical purposes and offered all the space you needed, it still had small wheels which meant not as much comfort for passengers as a full-fledged MPV like the Toyota Innova, or more recently, the Mahindra Xylo. There is a chance that it will be the new MPV from Toyota (maybe the Avanza) which will be a direct competitor than any other vehicle. You may also be interested in New small car launches at Auto Expo 2010

Photo: Suzuki APV interior, left hand drive version

Anyway, so what we are going to get is a big van disguised as a people-carrier. No problem with that. What is with the name APV, though? I suspect Maruti Suzuki will give it a more memorable name. The rural market is not going to take kindly to a name like the Suzuki APV. For all you know, like in the case of the Zen Estilo, the new vehicle would also get a memorable name. Like Suzuki Versa APV? Or maybe Suzuki Versa something?

Whatever be the case, let us look at what we already know about the new vehicle. The expected launch date for the Suzuki APV is March 2010, but you will quite likely see it unveiled at the 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi in January 2010.

The Suzuki APV which is currently being sold in Australia

The Suzuki APV is already being sold in several countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines and Australia, and the global Suzuki website lists the vehicle too. We can see two engine options being offered abroad – 1500 cc and a 1600 cc petrols. In India, the market for a petrol Suzuki APV would be small – we will probably see the tried and tested Fiat Multijet engine plonked into the Versa too. The Suzuki APV being sold in Pakistan is the 1500 cc version, with 5 gears – there does not seem to be an overdrive gear, though.

Suzuki APV vs Innova – premature comparison!

The length, width and height of the Suzuki APV are 4230 mm, 1655 mm and, 1865 mm. The Toyota Innova, on the other hand, is clearly longer with length at 4580 mm. That means the Suzuki APV is 35 cm less than the Innova in length.

The width and height of the Innova are at 1770 mm and 1755 mm respectively. So in width too, the Suzuki APv falls behind the Innova. In height, however, it is easily 11 cms taller. You can see this in the photos also – this is definitely a tallboy MPV, if there is any such classification!

The Suzuki APV has a wheelbase of 2625 mm, while that if the Innova is 2750.

In ground clearance, the Suzuki APV scores above the Innova, with 180-190 mm while the Innova stands at 176 mm.

Remember that this comparison is just to give you an idea about the size of the vehicle. For all you know, the interior space utilization of the Suzuki APV is better than that of the Innova. Or, depending on which engine is used, weight of the vehicle could change quite a bit. So we agree this is a bit too early to compare, but any data is good, the way we see it. Just let us not go overboard and interpret it beyond any reason!

At this point, the diesel and petrol engines of the Innova both make more power than the Suzuki APV.

Suzuki APV price

Let us just say that a vehicle which is smaller than comparable MPVs like the Xylo or the Innova should be priced lower than them. Rest is anybody’s guess at this point. Update: According to this story in Deccan Chronicle, the APV will be priced at Rs 4 lakh. That is not a realistic price for a diesel engined vehicle – so either the APV would not have a diesel engine, or that is the price for the petrol model. Quite likely its the second reason.

Seating capacity

As always, two in front, three in the middle row, and maybe three at the back. Considering that the Suzuki APV is not as big as the Innova or Xylo, seating three grown adults at the back would be a tight fit.