Maruti Suzuki has firmed up its plans to stay on top in the Indian market and is now introducing a new 660 cc car at the forthcoming Delhi Auto Expo 2012 to be held at pragati Maidan in January.
According to a BS report, MSIL has firmed up its plans to foray into the sub-800 cc segment, while two cars in this segment which is already in operation in Japan. What is more, the Japanese car major will showcase a 660 cc car at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012 to guage viewers' response, writes Swaraj Baggonkar.
Known as Suzuki Palette and Suzuki MR Wagon, these cars are powered by parent Suzuki’s smallest engine till date. On the basis of the feedback at the expo, a production version would be readied for the Indian market and either one or both of the compact cars would be launched in the next two-three years, sources familiar with the developments told the daily.
Although both models are powered by 660 cc petrol engines, Maruti Suzuki is steering clear of the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, which carries a price tag of Rs 1.53 lakh and has a 624 cc engine. The price gap between the entry-level Tata Nano and the 800 cc engine-powered Maruti Alto is Rs 1.43 lakh, the report pointed out.
The Maruti Suzuki Alto, its current bestseller, will remain the entry-level car for MSIL and the new cars will be positioned on par or above Maruti Suzuki Alto’s price tag of Rs 2.96 lakh. Although the size of the engine is smaller than the Maruti Alto’s, the new small cars will have greater interior space, thanks to the improved height, compared to the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800. Additional features of the two cars will be announced by the company later, noted the report.
Stating that the move to bring in new small cars was triggered by the constant slide in Maruti’s market share in the passenger car segment, the report said that the market share Maruti Suzuki has declined by seven percentage points to 38 percent till October this year from 45 percent in the same month last year.
The country’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is also planning a blitzkreig of new launches and to debut in the multi-utility vehicle (MUV) segment. This yet-to-be-named new vehicle, with seating capacity of up to seven people, will remain compact in dimensions and is expected to be the next big volume driver for the company. The MUV has been developed by Maruti Suzuki engineers in India with help from Suzuki’s research and development wing. Sources told the daily the vehicle was ready and would hit the local markets by March next year.
Other MUVs currently in the market include the Mahindra Bolero and Tata Sumo. Maruti Suzuki also plans to export the MUV. The company will also bring a compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), popularly referred to as a van, in India. Christened Maruti Suzuki ‘Ertiga’, the MPV will come with a diesel-cum-petrol engine.
Also on the anvil is a compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), a concept version of which will be unveiled in January, while the production version is expected to hit the market later. Apart from the ageing Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, mostly used by the armed forces, Maruti Suzuki does not have a product in this category, said the report.
Mayank Pareek, Managing Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales), MSIL said: “As the market gets more competitive, we have to gear up for the new dynamics. We are thus showing the best we can offer. The new models like the Kei cars and the SUV, MPV and MUV will prove to the world that we are future-ready. We need to get first-hand feedback for this".
