Maruti Suzuki confirms developing ADAS tech tailored for the Indian traffic environment, with the production-spec eVX likely being the first recipient of the safety suite
With sales of electric cars at an all-time high, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is surely getting a bit late to the party. Interestingly, the carmaker could have benefitted from a first mover’s advantage of sorts had it launched the WagonR EV whose test mules were seen a gazillion times. However, with the carmaker deciding to not rush into things, it chose to develop an entirely new pure electric car from the ground up. This is where the eVX came in. The concept, which made its debut at the last Auto Expo, was to spawn a production version by the end of this year. Now, though, the market entry of the first-ever electric Maruti will likely happen only by next year. Seemingly, the new e-SUV will offer various novelties. As per the latest update, one such highlight will be an ADAS suite developed specially for the Indian traffic conditions.
India-specific ADAS for Maruti Suzuki eVX
Addressing concerns about the delay in launching the safety technology on its cars, Maruti Suzuki said, “The unique traffic conditions and congestion make it difficult to simply apply Japanese solutions. Leveraging Suzuki’s 40 years of experience in India, we plan to develop and offer ADAS that performs well even in the congested streets of Indian cities.” The company certainly has a point, what with the chaotic traffic conditions prevalent almost throughout the country!
While ADAS might remain conspicuous by its absence on Maruti Suzuki cars for some more time to come, the fact that it will be calibrated as per local conditions should make the wait worth it. Indian road conditions and traffic behavior are a lot more challenging than in many international markets, which renders many ADAS features totally impractical in our use case scenario. This holds true, especially in the urban environment, where most cities suffer perpetually from poorly managed traffic. It’s not uncommon to see unruly behavior, with two-wheelers, pedestrians, and in some cases, even stray animals moving about haphazardly. Moreover, many of our roads lack proper lane markings. Poor lane discipline This can confuse ADAS systems not fine-tuned for our chaotic environment.
Maruti Suzuki eVX Design & Specs
The eVX concept looks futuristic and rather radical. The front end should feature a multi-tier lighting setup seen on the show car. That said, the production model could have slightly toned-down soft parts. The sloping roofline and the coupe-ish silhouette will be retained. With the advent of coupe-crossovers like the Tata CURVV and Citroen Basalt, the rather unconventional body style might find enough acceptance by the time the production eVX debuts.
As of now, little is known about the electric powertrain, though we think a 60 kWh battery pack might be on offer. This should translate into a real-world range of roughly 450 km. The eVX is expected to be available in 2WD as well as 4WD configurations. Peak power will likely range from 138 PS to 170 PS, depending on the variant. Dimensionally, the upcoming electric car from Maruti Suzuki will measure around 4,300 mm in length, 1,800 mm in width, and 1,600 mm in height.
Also Read: Maruti’s eVX Seen Next to S-Cross, Looks As Big
Our View
With Tata Motors ruling the Indian electric car market, and Mahindra looking all set to create more buzz in this segment, Maruti Suzuki certainly has catching up to do. But from the looks of it, the carmaker seems to be ensuring it comes up with a solid contender that suits the requirements of the Indian consumer to the proverbial T. We expect more sightings of the test mules in the weeks to come. That, along with further revelations from the carmaker, should give us a better idea of upcoming EV.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki eVX EV’s Futuristic Interior Revealed
