Motor show around the world has always been a platform where concepts and new ideas are showcased to gauge the in-house capabilities and talent of a company. Towing on the same line Maruti Suzuki, India's largest car maker will showcase a Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) to be named R3.
This is the second concept vehicle Maruti will showcase after it unveiled the A-star during the 2008 Auto Expo. Besides this concept MPV, the company will showcase 16 other vehicles which include the company's next family car, Eeco, and the luxury sedan Suzuki Kizashi, imported exclusively for the show.
The concept R3 has been conceptualised, designed and built from scratch by a team of Indian designers over a time span of nine months. The company has not divulged much details of the R3 including the price, positing or specifications of the vehicle.
At the unveiling of the concept car, Managing director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said that the Maruti R3 MPV concept will carve a new segment in the Indian market. Described as a family car, the six-seater will cater to large families.
The concept design aims to optimize interior space without compromising on the elegance and compactness of the exterior.
The exterior of the Maruti R3 concept has flowing lines that start from the front of the vehicle and move to the rear. There are concealed rear tail lamps, a glass roof, aluminum accents on the side, and a chrome grille.
The interior design cues are derived from the fluidity of flowing water giving the appearance of elements merging into another.
Maruti’s theme for the Auto Expo 2010 is ‘Joys of Life.”
Mayank Pareek Maruti Suzuki Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales said “Over the years, Maruti Suzuki has ushered in millions of joyous moments in the form of delivering reliable products, offering prompt and careful after-sales services, and forging a long-term relationship with its valued customers. ‘Joys of Life’ as a theme celebrates this long history.”
Maruti had showcased the concepts for the Maruti A-Star and Swift at the Auto Expos held in previous years. The production models of both the cars have been successful in India, the Maruti Swift more so.
The Maruti R3 MPV concept car will be designed entirely in India over a period of nine months. It will also be built primarily in India to keep costs down.
Maruti has not divulged any information as to when the Maruti R3 MPV concept will go into production or its expected price and specifications.
The looks of Concept R3 are absolutely stunning. Below are some pictures clicked by me yesterday at theAuto Expo 2010. Click to enlarge the images:
The Concept R3 is a 6 seater with compact styling, high head room, modern styling and stunning looks. It has been designed by Indian Designers at Maruti Suzuki India. The car will be powered by a K-series engine which exists in the modern cars of Maruti Like Ritz and new Waron R.
It may come with a K12M engine which was showcased at Maruti Joys Of Life Pavilion. The K12M features are:
- 4 Cylinder / 4 valves per cylinder
- DOHC
- Max Power 85 BHP @ 6000 rpm
- Max Torque 113 Nm @ 4500 rpm
- Couples with 5 Speed Manual Transmission
- Cable Shift Transmission with Dented Pin Technology (DPT)
- Dry Single Diaphragm type clutch
The interiors of the concept car are very attractive and loaded with gadgets and gizmos giving it a futuristic look. However these futuristic features might be stripped down while creating a commercial version of Concept R3 to make is cost competitive.
There is no official details on the release time frame or release date for the Concept R3 as a production model. It has been speculated that when it will be rolled out for production, the price will be kept in a range of around Rs. 4 Lakhs. We will keep you updated on the more news about Concept R3 on out Auto-News Section on Car Blog India.
