Auto Expo 2010: Suzuki shows off tidy R3 MPV concept [w/video]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Minivan/Van, Hatchback, Suzuki, Misc. Auto Shows, India, Design/Style

Maruti Suzuki R3 MPV Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Maruti Suzuki has unveiled its latest concept car, the R3 MPV inside New Delhi’s Auto Expo 2010. Despite its small footprint, the Indian-designed vehicle actually secrets six individual seats.

MSi has yet to detail what platform underpins the R3, let alone what powertrain is inside the concept (if any), but the concept is said to provide a very good look at a forthcoming Indian-market model that could hit the country’s roads within two years. Some sources are suggesting that the people mover could be motivated by anything from a Fiat-sourced 1.3-liter diesel to Suzuki’s own 1.2- or 1.4-liter gasoline engines. To our eyes, it looks eerily similar to the just-previewed next-generation Opel Meriva, could the R3 be a holdover twin from the days when General Motors and Suzuki were working together more closely?

It isn’t altogether clear if Maruti Suzuki will offer a production version of the R3 concept beyond India’s borders, as the marque already owns upwards of 50-percent of the fast-growing market and could potentially do adequate volume just within the country’s borders, especially if a bit of platform sharing is involved. Still, we can see something like the R3 playing well in the European marketplace. Do you think it would go over well in the States? Click on our high-res galleries below (thanks to Shrawan Raja for the live shots!), then make the jump to watch a video of its unveiling in New Delhi and check out the car’s official press release.

Gallery: Maruti Suzuki R3 MPV Concept