In preparation for new car launches, Maruti Suzuki has completely shifted the production of the Dzire to Suzuki’s Gujarat plant
Maruti Suzuki has completely shifted the production of the Dzire from Manesar, Haryana, to Hansalpur, Gujarat. The sedan will now be manufactured in Suzuki Motor Gujarat’s third manufacturing plant, which started operations in April this year. The new plant has an installed production capacity of 2.5 lakh units annually, similar to Suzuki’s other two plants at Hansalpur.
Previously, production of the Dzire had started at the Hansalpur facility to share the load with the Manesar facility. Now, however, the entire production has been shifted to Gujarat. According to a recent news report, the move was done to free up space in Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, in preparation for new launches.
The Indo-Japanese carmaker is planning to introduce a few new models in the Indian market soon, including the new-generation Celerio. Other than that, the manufacturer has plans to introduce a few new SUVs, including the next-generation Vitara Brezza and the 5-door Jimny, both of which are likely to arrive next year.
The automaker is also planning to re-introduce diesel engines to select cars in its lineup next year, like the XL6, Ertiga, Vitara Brezza, and Ciaz. The XL6 will be the first to receive a BS6-compliant oil-burner, which will be an updated version of the brand’s older 1.5-litre DDiS engine. In its BS4 form, this motor used to develop 95 PS and 225 Nm of maximum power and torque, respectively.
It should be noted that Suzuki Motor Gujarat is a fully-owned subsidy of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation. Established in 2014, it essentially acts as a contract manufacturer for Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. On average, Maruti produces around 1,000 units of the Dzire daily. Other cars being manufactured in the other two plants at Hansalpur include the Swift, Baleno, and Toyota Glanza (rebadged Baleno).
In other news, Maruti Suzuki recently hiked the prices of select models in its range. The Swift hatchback has seen an increment of Rs. 15,000, while the prices of CNG-powered models (Alto 800, S-Presso, Celerio, Wagon-R, Ertiga, Tour S, Eeco, and Super Carry) have gone up by Rs. 10,000.