The micro SUV and 3-row premium SUV are among Maruti Suzuki upcoming SUVs which are likely to rival Punch, Exter and Alcazar, Safari respectively
India’s highest-selling carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, is prepping more SUVs to launch in India. Owing to current trends in car buying and customer perceptions, vehicles marketed as SUVs have the most appeal and are also highly promising and profitable. Maruti Suzuki is adding two more SUVs to their belt rivaling key segments with huge growth potential.
Maruti Suzuki Planning Two New SUVs In Different Segments
A recent report reveals an image of Maruti’s future roadmap, suggesting possible vehicles to expect and in which segment. This looks like a snapshot of company’s internal presentation. However, we would reckon that it is an old picture that must be re-surfacing. According to the report, Maruti Suzuki is targeting micro SUV space and 3-row premium SUV space.
Currently, Micro SUV space is dominated by Tata Punch and Hyundai Exter. Citroen has C3 Hatchback that the company does not market as micro SUV. From Maruti Suzuki, there is Ignis which is not a popular product anymore with around 1.6K units sold in November 2023. This segment is aced by Tata Punch and saw a worthy challenger in the form of Exter.
Maruti Suzuki currently has S-Presso marketed as ‘Mini SUV’. Technically speaking, Micro is smaller than Mini. But, Maruti’s upcoming small vehicle is highly likely to be larger than Ignis at around 3.8m long. For context, S-Presso is a 3.56m long vehicle that sold around 1.8K units in November 2023.
The larger 3-row SUV
The second product that Maruti Suzuki is reportedly targeting is 3-row mid-size SUV segment. Earlier speculations indicate a stretched version of Grand Vitara to incorporate 3-rows of seating taking the total seating capacity to six (with captain chairs in 2nd and 3rd row), seven (captain chairs in 2nd row and 3rd row bench) or eight (2nd and 3rd row bench seats).
Maruti Suzuki already has XL6 in India that is marketed as ‘Premium MUV’. The 3-row Grand Vitara reportedly codenamed Y17, will sit above XL6 in terms of positioning and pricing. Maruti Suzuki might extend wheelbase to accommodate 3rd row, or just extend its length. It will rival the likes of Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus Tata Safari.
Both vehicles are likely to be sold via company’s Nexa lineup. Maruti’s Toyota Innova Hycross counterpart, Invicto, will still be the flagship vehicle that the company has to offer. In November 2023, Maruti Suzuki had around 40% market share in mainstream vehicles and 20% market share in SUV segment.
To achieve 50% total market share, Maruti Suzuki intends to increase their SUV share by up to 33% by identifying gaps within SUV segments and targeting niches. SUV segments accounted for 48% of total PV sales in FY2023 with scope to easily cross 50% in 2024. Grand Vitara based 3-row SUV could hit the market in 2026, with micro SUV expected in 2027.
