DELHI MOTOR SHOW: Suzuki XA Alpha Concept

Not to be outshone by Ford's EcoSport compact SUV, Suzuki's Indian partner Maruti Suzuki took the wraps off the XA Alpha Concept at the Delhi Motor Show this week.

The compact SUV that could be seen as the spiritual successor to the iconic Suzuki Jimny rock hopper. A production of the XA concept has not been confirmed at this stage, however the company will be seeking to expand its product range in order to retain its market leadership -- Maruti Suzuki sells more passenger vehicles in India than any other brand.

Exports would be possible too. Affordable compact SUVs are becomeing more popular in global markets such Europe and Australia.

According to Maruti Suzuki's CEO, Shinzo Nakanishi, new vehicle design in India will be dictated more and more by customer demand, not just affordability, and Suzuki has decided there's a growing number of young Indians who would be attracted to a car like this.

"The Concept XA is designed for a market of customers with a young urban lifestyle," said Nakanishi.

"The choice of automobile will be dictated more and more by the way of life of customers. We will launch new products and create new categories to their choice.

"India is on course to become one of the top automobile economies of the world, powered by the middle class and continued government support. Customers will become more and more sophisticated," noted Nakanishi.

No details on the Suzuki XA Alpha Concept's powertrain were released at the Delhi Motor Show, which suggests the company will make its next move based on public and industry feedback. At 4000mm in length, just 150mm longer than the Swift hatchback, a possible production version of the XA Alpha Concept could easily be equipped with any of the Swift's four-cylinder engines.

The compact SUV prototype was engineered by a team of Japanese Suzuki engineers, while Maruti's Indian operation developed the exterior design. Nakanishi explained that the partnership between the two groups will be crucial for the company’s continued dominance of the Indian new-car market. "This Concept showcases the unified R&D efforts of Suzuki and Maruti which will be a big asset for us in India in the future," said Nakanishi.

Australians are already driving Indian-made cars, including utes from Mahindra and the Suzuki Alto city car, and it's likely we'll see a lot more in future.

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