The upcoming Maruti Suzuki MPV is being co-developed with Toyota, and the latter has plans to sell a rebadged version as well
Maruti Suzuki has recently revealed that it plans to launch at least five new UVs in India, including both SUVs and MPVs, between 2021 and 2023. The company is already working on a new MPV, which will sit above the Ertiga and XL6. The new vehicle is being developed jointly by Suzuki and Toyota, and will hit the market in mid-2021.
The new Maruti MPV will also be rebadged and sold as a Toyota vehicle, as a part of the alliance between the two carmakers. The latter already has the Glanza (rebadged Maruti Baleno) and Urban Cruiser (rebadged Maruti Vitara Brezza) in its lineup, and the list will soon get longer. The new MPV will be placed below the Innova Crysta in Toyota India’s range.
The upcoming Maruti MPV will be a Mahindra Marazzo Rival. The latter is priced between Rs. 11.25 lakh and Rs. 13.59 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), and the Maruti is expected to undercut this pricing by a significant margin. While this might look like an obvious advantage for Maruti, it should be remembered that the Indo-Japanese manufacturer doesn’t have any diesel engines on offer, whereas Mahindra specialises in diesel-powered utility vehicles.
While consumers’ interest has largely declined regarding small diesel-powered passenger cars, the same isn’t completely true for SUVs and MPVs. Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos are perhaps the best examples of this; the two SUVs enjoy strong demand for their diesel variants. For MPVs, the lack of a diesel engine could be a huge potential drawback. That said, Maruti has CNG technology in its arsenal, which should level the playing field.
The option for a bi-fuel CNG powerplant is a great alternative to diesel engines, especially for people concerned about low-running costs. The same will be present on Toyota’s rebadged version as well. We expect the engine to be the same 1.5-litre ‘K-series’ petrol mill that powers the Ertiga, XL6, S-Cross, etc.
Apart from that, Maruti will also launch a new subcompact crossover next year, which will slot below the Vitara Brezza. Even the Brezza will receive a major update in 2022 (probably a generation change). A new SUV is also in the works, which will rival the Hyundai Creta. The five-door Jimny is slated to arrive in 2023, and will be manufactured locally.
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