Suzuki eSKY Debuts In Japan With 310 Km Range: Could This Be Maruti’s EV Under Rs 10 Lakh For India?

Suzuki has unveiled a compact city car called the eSKY. The unveiling took place in Japan, and it looks like it is an ideal compact EV for a crowded city. For reference, Japan has a category of cars called Kei cars, which are essentially designed for city use. Could this be a competitor to the MG Comet EV? Let’s explore what the new eSKY is.

A Perfect City EV From Maruti?

Suzuki Japan showcased the eSKY vision last year and has now unveiled the car in all its glory. Looking at it, it is a compact, cute-looking car with tall-boy proportions. For perspective, the MG Comet is 2,974 mm, and the eSKY is 3,395 mm long. Size-wise, this sits bang in the middle between the Comet and a compact car like the Alto, which measures at 3,530mm in length. Both popular city cars which are easy to drive and reasonably practical.

The 3.4-metre-long EV is sure compact but does have proper four doors with usable back seats. This could not be said about the Comet EV. With the rising popularity of compact EV city commuters, like the Tata Tiago EV and the MG Comet, there could be a strong incentive to bring the newly unveiled eSKY to India.

Design

As mentioned earlier, the 3.4-metre-long EV is originally designed to fit into Japan's Kei rules. These rules say that the car can be a maximum of 3.4 metres long and 1.48 metres wide, among a few other guidelines. These make the cars very compact, and the manufacturers, being Japanese, would stretch their engineering minds to get the best out of the size restrictions given to them.

The eSKY has a quirky-looking front end thanks to the flat fascia and upright stance. The front end includes funky C-shaped DRLs with smoked projector headlamps. The headlamps are not connected by DRLs but are connected by a piano black accent trim. The rather plain-looking front end also includes subtle air intakes on the lower half of the bumper, along with some rectangular design accents to break the plain look.

The side profile looks purposeful and nothing fancy here as well. The eSKY is designed to be a commuter and a practical one at that. So, the tall-boy-shaped car has large doors, which make it easy for small kids to senior citizens to get in and out of the car. The side profile includes 14-inch four-spoke alloy wheels, which add character to the boxy-looking side profile.

The eSKY is not trying to impress anyone with features. Hence, old-school features like fender-mounted indicators and a short roof antenna can be seen here. However, the body coloured accent on the black C-pillar gives the side profile a young appeal.

The rear profile carries forward the retro-modern design. What is interesting here is the premium-looking wraparound rear glass, which gives this a modern and premium look. Notice the tail lamps carry the same theme as the DRLs up front. The C-shaped lines act as the LED tail lamps here, but the reverse lamps and the indicators are halogen, which reminds us that this is an entry-level car.

Features

The eSKY is not made to impress anyone. However, it does get a decent amount of features like Suzuki’s new 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also includes digital climate control, digital driver’s display, power windows for all four doors, cruise control, heated seats and automatic headlamps.

Safety includes electronic parking brake (EPB), hill-hold control (HHC), ABS, front and rear parking sensors and a rear camera.

Drivetrain

The eSKY comes equipped with a 26 kWh battery and is expected to have a claimed range of up to 310 km.

Official power figures have not been shared yet. But expect them to be around 60-70 PS.

Price And Rivals

The price of the eSKY could be similar to the MG Comet if it comes on sale in India. This means Rs 7 lakh ex-showroom onwards. Maruti has not yet confirmed the arrival of the eSKY to India, but it sure looks like an interesting proposition.

The eSKY would go against the likes of the MG Comet EV, the Tata Tiago EV and the Citroen eC3X. We also expect VinFast to bring the VF3 or a model based on the VF3 to India to as their contender in this segment.

CarDekho Says…

The recent rise of EVs in India has seen many interesting EVs which we otherwise wouldn’t have seen before, or have seen such vehicles being successful. A prime example being the MG Comet. The compact dimensions, premium interiors and cute styling make it one of a kind and fit the bill for many people who want an easy city runabout. Meanwhile, VinFast have also confirmed the arrival of a micro EV, and it will most likely be the VF3 or something closely related.

If Maruti follows suit, they could have a strong strategy up their sleeve. Will they give it a shot with compact EVs in India? Only time can tell. Would you like to see the eSKY in India? Let us know in the comments.