Report - Suzuki to launch 6 new cars by 2017 including mini SUV, hatchback

Swift to be replaced in 2016.

Suzuki will launch six new models by 2017 in Europe, in an attempt to capture 2 percent of the market share. Suzuki GB’s head of sales and marketing, Dale Wyatt told Autocar UK that two new cars will be introduced every year for the next three years.

By 2017, Suzuki’s European portfolio will include two A-segment products, two B-segment cars and two small SUVs. The first of the new Suzukis for Europe will be the Celerio hatch (launches in February 2015) and the Vitara compact SUV (launches in April 2015).

Apart from these cars, there will also be a B-segment hatchback to join the Swift, and a smaller SUV with possible 4x4 capability.

The B-segment hatch will launch in India in 2015 as well, and has in fact been spotted undisguised. It is codenamed YRA, and reports say it will rival the likes of the Hyundai Elite i20 and VW Polo, and maybe even move the bar higher in space, features and premium feature content for a hatchback.

The new smaller SUV on the other hand could be what is testing in India as the Maruti YBA - a sub-4 meter compact SUV that will fight the Ford EcoSport.

By 2016, the popular Swift would have been replaced by a successor, which the publication reports could get an extra-hot, sportier version, in tune with competitors like the Fiesta RS, Clio RS, Polo GTI and the Peugeot 208 GTi.

Also read: Maruti Wagon R Xrest edition spotted

A replacement for the well-aged Jimny is also planned sometime in 2017.

[Source - Autocar UK]