Maruti Suzuki is expected to introduce a number of new products in the near future, mainly concentrating on the SUV space
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has been on a launch spree lately as the second generation Celerio was introduced in late 2021 while the CNG version of the same hatchback was added to the lineup in the first month of the year. The updated version of the WagonR entry-level hatch also debuted a few weeks ago.
In addition, the facelifted Maruti Suzuki Baleno was introduced recently with a starting price of Rs. 6.35 lakh (ex-showroom) and it gets a number of updates inside and out with a more modern features list that includes segment-first HUD and a 360-degree camera system. The largest carmaker in the country has a series of new launches waiting in the pipeline as well.
While the Indo-Japanese manufacturer grabs the majority of its market share from the hatchback space, its competitors like Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra and Kia are garnering higher volumes in the compact and midsize SUV segments. In a recent interview, MSIL’s Senior Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) Shashank Srivastava acknowledged the need to strengthen the company’s SUV range.
He said, “Brezza is the market leader in the entry SUV space… So, obviously, it means that even if you have a best seller like Brezza in the largest segment…our market share in the SUV segment is low. It means our portfolio needs strengthening and that is what we hope to do going forward.”
Srivastava further noted that the SUV segment has grown much faster as it contributes to 38 per cent of the entire car industry and it was only 32 per cent last year. While declining to comment on the specifics of the launches, he explained several new models are coming through the Nexa chain of premium dealerships in the near future.
Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch the second-generation Vitara Brezza by the middle of this calendar year with major revisions inside and out. Around Diwali, the partnership between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota will reportedly spawn a midsize SUV based on Toyota’s DNGA platform and it could be retailed through Nexa as well.
Reports also indicate that Maruti Suzuki is working on an SUV coupe based on the Baleno while an electric midsize SUV derived from Toyota’s global skateboard is said to be in the works as well and it may debut by the middle of this decade with a real-world driving range close to 500 km on a single charge and it could be priced between Rs. 13-15 lakh (ex-showroom).