New Delhi, Jan 5 : Automobile major Maruti Suzuki Thursday unvieled its new compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) on the first day of the 11th Auto Expo, terming the vehicle a bold new experiment.

"The choice of an automobile will be dictated more and more by the way of life of customers. We will launch new products and create new categories to their choice," Maruti Suzuki managing director and cheif executive Shinzo Nakanishi.

The company, however, did not reveal the price or the launch date of the XA Alpha.According to Nakanishi, the new product focuses on the changing preferences of customers, especially the youth. "With the rise of the middle class, the Indian automobile market is growing and as a result the customers are becoming more sophisticated in their choices."

The company said that the new SUV has been jointly developed by Maruti Suzuki and parent Suzuki Corporation.Nakanishi said the development of the SUV is in line with the company's stratergy of stregthening its presence in the SUV segment, which accounts for 14 percent of India's automobile market.

Developed for both city and off-road usage, the design draws its inspiration from the Indian martial arts forms.The 11th edition of the Auto Expo will conclude Jan 11. The event at the sprawling Pragati Maidan exposition grounds promises a slew of launches and first-time exhibits of vehicles in virtually every segment and hopes to draw some 500,000 footfalls, the organisers said.

Held every two years, the event is being co-hosted by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA).(IANS)