Maruti Suzuki S-Presso completes one year in India

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso was launched exactly a year ago amid much fanfare and was and is touted as a mini SUV by the company. In the one year - to the date - since it was launched back on September 30 of 2019, the car has managed to find many takers despite the headwinds faced by the Indian auto industry as a whole.

Sold under Maruti Suzuki's Arena retail network, S-Presso is one of the smallest offerings from the company but makes big claims about having SUV proportions and several key features in the cabin. Built on the 5th generation HEARTECT platform, it also claims to be a safe ride because of the use of 40 per cent high tensile steel.

While many have chosen to question why Maruti Suzuki would call it a mini SUV, the company highlights the car's upright A-pillar and back door design to back the claim. A relatively high ground clearance and squared wheel arches over the 14-inch tyres also seek to give it a rather beefed up appearance.

Inside the car, the seating layout is high in a bid to provide a better view of surroundings. An infotainment screen, digital speedometer, steering-mounted audio and voice controls, storage spaces all promise to offer as premium an experience as is possible at the price bracket at which S-Presso comes at.

There is a 1.0 L K10 engine under the hood which, quite obviously, is BS 6 compliant. To make it a viable option for daily city commutes, Maruti Suzuki also equipped the car with its Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology, apart from a more conventional manual gearbox.

In current times of economic uncertainties and the challenges faced by the Indian automobile industry, many analysts and market watchers feel small cars are likely to pave the way forward, especially and also because of a preference for personal mobility in Covid-19 times. As such, Maruti is well poised to take advantage and the S-Presso is likely to be a key product in its garage.