Maruti Suzuki is betting on the fast growing utility vehicles segment to expand its presence and market share in India. Currently Maruti sells the Ertiga MUV, Gypsy and Grand Vitara SUVs in the Indian market.
The success of its latest offering Ertiga MPV, which has become the country’s largest selling model in the UV space, sold over 70,000 units in 2012. The Ertiga is also being exported to various market like Indonesia and ASEAN countries.
To tap the compact SUV segment, Maruti Suzuki is working on an all-new sporty utility vehicle named XA Alpha, which it had displayed as a concept in 2012 Auto Expo. The launch is expected to happen in 2014-15 and will powered by a choice of petrol & diesel engines.
As reported earlier, Maruti Suzuki is planning to 3-4 more models in the SUV segment. The company is considering to launch the SX4 Crossover and we could also expect the new SX4 S-Cross unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show to make it to India slotted between the XA Alpha and Grand Vitara. A sub 4 metre SUV is also under the consideration which will compete with the likes of Mahindra Quanto and Ford EcoSport.
New variants of the Ertiga are under consideration and we could expect the Automatic variant to be launched in India.
With Excise duty hike on SUVs, Maruti Suzuki will have to cautiously price the products to be competitive.