Maruti Suzuki: Jimny and Mid Size SUV under consideration

In a recent interview with PTI, Senior Executive Director of Sales and Marketing, Shashank Srivastava revealed that they are considering bringing Jimny and a mid-size SUV to the Indian market. They have collected feedback from the customers and they are currently studying it.

Shashank said, “It is a segment worth looking into, that is the reason why we exhibited it in the Auto Expo 2020. We have collected some very good feedback from the customers. We are studying this feedback and we will definitely see if we can introduce the product here,”

They know that the Jimny won’t sell in huge numbers because it is not really a practical car. However, it will improve the image of the manufacturer in the market. Just like the new-gen Thar did for Mahindra. There are some people who really want a dedicated off-roading vehicle. He said, “The volumes are less but such vehicles lift the image of an OEM. At the same time, it also helps support many customer aspirations,”

Also read: Maruti Suzuki greenlights Jimny for launch in India

Where most of the manufacturers have launched a new vehicle or a facelift in the Indian market, Maruti Suzuki only launched the Celerio’s facelift this year. The reason behind this was COVID-19 and now they have a big year ahead as they will be launching multiple vehicles next year. Shashank said, “Due to COVID, there has been some delay regarding new product introductions. But now we are all set for new launches. We are looking at all segments where we think there are opportunities while strengthening our existing strong points,”

He also revealed that Maruti Suzuki is considering a mid-size SUV as their share still stays low in the segment. In the SUV segment, Maruti Suzuki has 13 to 14 percent. Their entry-level SUV, Vitara Berzza is currently the best selling SUV in the segment despite the new launches.

Maruti is looking at the mid-size SUV very carefully. He said, “But if we look at the mid-SUV segment, which currently accounts for around 18 percent of the entire PV segment, our market share is very low. We have S-Cross in that space which is not giving enough volume. So clearly we have a low market share in a growing segment. We need to strengthen our product portfolio in this particular segment. We are looking at those places where we have weakness in our product range, bigger SUV space is one of those areas,”

So, they need a mid-size SUV that can compete with competitors like Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun, MG Astor, Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. Most probably, Maruti Suzuki will be launching the 2022 S-Cross that was recently launched in the international market.

Upcoming launches

Maruti Suzuki is working on many products for the Indian market. The new-gen Brezza and the Baleno’s Facelift have already been leaked. There is also a facelift of Alto 800, Ertiga and XL6. Moreover, there will also be a new crossover that will be based on the Baleno. There will also be a 5-door Jimny and the new S-Cross is also expected to hit the Indian shores sometime next year.

Also read: Upcoming 2022 Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza rendered

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