New Delhi, July 8: Maruti's high-end crossover vehicle S-Cross, for which pre-booking was opened today, will carry only the Suzuki tag and will be sold through the car maker's premium Nexa outlets.

The company also plans to sell its upcoming premium 5-seater SUV and high-end sedans under the Suzuki brand and through Nexa dealerships to attract premium buyers.

At present, the "Maruti Suzuki" tag is placed on the boot of all cars the company sells, including the entry-level Alto, the Swift and the DZire.

The move is part of a management decision to sell premium vehicles under the Suzuki brand and lower-priced cars with the Maruti Suzuki branding.

Maruti Suzuki India has a target of selling 2 million units annually by 2020 and it expects the Nexa network to contribute significantly by the end of the decade.

Nexa is expected to counter competition from Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen in the premium section.

"S-Cross, expected to be launched in early August, will be sold at the Nexa showrooms. Nexa is the new premium automotive experience by Maruti Suzuki and 30 showrooms will begin operations in the next few weeks," the company said in a statement.

A crossover combines features of a sports utility vehicle with those from a hatchback. Analysts expect the S-Cross to be priced between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 12 lakh and compete against Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport.

The company's previous attempts to position itself in the premium segment through its SUV Grand Vitara and premium sedan Kizashi failed after the models were retailed through current dealerships.