PARIS MOTOR SHOW: S-Cross defines Suzuki small car
The first unveil of the 2012 Paris Motor Show was more important than even its pole position would suggest -- for its maker Suzuki a least.It's not too long a bow to suggest that under the skin of the S-Cross concept unveiled this morning in Paris is the future of the Japanese brand. The concept, that will spawn an as yet unnamed compact SUV in its production form, is underpinned by Suzuki's all new small car platform.
The so-called C Segment is the sweet spot that commands most of the world's mass market cars -- Golf, Corolla, Focus, Mazda 3 and the like. S-Cross uses Suzuki's first ever C Segment platform – and it’s a mechanical package that's sure to form the basis for a Golf-sized hatch and sedan in due course.
What S-Cross won't do is replace SX4, says Suzuki Australia sales boss, Tony Devers.
"The new car will run alongside SX4. It's a compact SUV -- SX4 is a hatch and will continue with some running changes for the time being," Mr Devers told motoring.com.au in Paris.
Mr Devers said the production version of S-Cross should be on sale Down Under by late 2013. He said powertrain and other details were all yet to be confirmed.
"It [S-Cross] uses a new all-wheel drive system but that's about all we can tell you... But the segment is important in Australia and becoming more so. There's every chance the car will become our second biggest seller after Swift," Mr Devers said.
According to Mr Devers, SX4 will not be replaced until circa 2015. He said tweaks to the SX4 would be aimed to strengthen its position within the hatch marketplace.
Essentially unloved Down Under, the SX4 was launched originally in 2007 as a softroader.
Read more Paris Motor Show stories at motoring.com.au
See all the photos from the Paris Motor Show at motoring.com.au
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