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Enough with the small car image
Enough with the small car image, Predominantly a small car maker, Maruti Suzuki has an unparalleled market share in the small car segments but could never really have a similar appeal in the premium car space.
Maruti bets big on SUVs and Cross Overs
Predominantly a small car maker, Maruti Suzuki has an unparalleled market share in the small car segments but could never really have a similar appeal in the premium car space. Its previous attempts with the Grand Vitara, Kizashi and the SX4 to an extent were futile to mark a name in the Rs. 8 lakhs and above car space. Nonetheless, learning from its mistakes, the automaker once again made an attempt to capture the same market with the new Ciaz mid-size sedan and the model has certainly rolled off to a good start.
Aiming to achieve the same momentum, Maruti will now be launching two new SUVs in the country in the 2015-16 fiscal. The upcoming SUVs are none other than the much talked about S-Cross compact SUV that will be rivaling the Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano, upcoming Hyundai ix25 and the likes in the segment; whereas the second compact SUV is the upcoming YBA (codename) compact SUV that will be tucked under the sub 4-metre mark and will rival the Ford EcoSport and the slew of offerings from Mahindra (S101/102, U301). The company also plans to bring the new Vitara and possibly a bigger 7-seater SUV by the end of this decade to India.
With a current market share of around 45 per cent, Maruti Suzuki is looking to expand its market presence even further and the new SUVs and crossovers will be a major volume booster for the company. With the addition of new products, Maruti is increasing its production capacity in the country and recently laid the foundation for its third plant in Gujarat that will take the total production capacity to around 3 million units (1.5 million from Gurgaon and Manesar plants). The automaker will be catering to not only the domestic markets but is set to increase its export operations as well.
In addition to the SUVs, Maruti Suzuki will also launch several new products and update its existing offerings. Most significant of the lot is the YRA (codename) premium hatchback that will sit above the Swift with India being the first market to get the model while the Super Carry (codename Y9T) will be the automaker’s ticket to the volume centric LCV segment and is scheduled to be launched in the following months. Maruti currently has a distribution network of 1500 dealers pan India, more than double the number compared to its nearest rival.
