Reference Auto

Maruti hasn’t had a great going with its Grand Vitara or the SUV market as a whole but is upbeat on the country’s market and plans to unveil a new SUV, the Ertiga, at the Auto Expo in Delhi during January 2012.

So, what prompted India’s largest carmaker to have a fling at the auto market again with the Ertiga despite its failure with SUVs? It’s the adventurous urban youth the company is banking on, who are always seeking something different.

SUVs after all have their own appeal. Unlike sedans or hatchbacks, SUVs present an informal and a “macho” image of its user and this is what the company is relying on with the Ertiga roll out.

It wants to tap the adventure-loving urban and rural youth who have the money in their pockets and are constantly wishing to do something different.

But Maruti must weigh its decision because it’s entering into a highly-competitive market where there are many products like the high-profile Ssangyong SUVs, which are arguably the best in the industry and will be rolled out in India soon but in a phased manner.

Ssangyong was the beleaguered South Korean SUV specialist that had gone bankrupt and was given a lease of life by our very own Mahindra and Mahindra.

The Auto Expo 2012 will show Maruti Suzuki India in a different light. Maruti will be seen as an aggressive player whose strengths in quality products, research and providing cost-effective vehicles are unmatched.

At the Auto Expo, Maruti Suzuki will globally unveil the country’s first compact MPV -- the Ertiga, the company said. The auto giant prefers to use the word MPV or multi-purpose vehicle rather than SUV for the Ertiga. The price of the Ertiga could be around Rs 10 lakh.

An upbeat managing executive officer (marketing and sales) of Maruti Suzuki India, Mayank Pareek, said, “As the market gets even more competitive, we have to get ready for the new dynamics. We will show the best we can offer. New models like the SUV, MPV and MUV will show the world that we are ready for the future. We need to get a first-hand feedback on this, which is very important to us.”

The Ertiga is still at the concept stage. The petrol variant of the Ertiga is likely to come with a new K14 petrol engine, the largest version of the K-series engines, where the power and torque rates are much higher.

The 1,372 cc VVT motor of the petrol variant of the Ertiga will belt out a power of 95 bhp and a torque of 13 kgm. The diesel version of the Ertiga has the same Fiat-design and a 1.3-litre Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) that has the DDiS motor of the SX4. This will come with a power of 89 bhp.

But the SUV market in India offers a litany of products from Mahindra’s Scorpio (priced around Rs 9 lakh) to Toyota’s Fortuner (priced around Rs 22 lakh) and Mercedes Benz (around Rs 1 crore).

So, in this overcrowded market that offers a wide range of products at different price points, will the Maruti Ertiga really have a great going?