Reference Auto

India’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki has launched a new version of the SX4, a car which has come a cropper in the Indian market, but by keeping the prices unchanged, can Maruti change the way people look at the SX4 and make it popular as other cars in its category like Hyundai’s Fluidic Verna, Honda City and Skoda Rapid?

The price for Maruti’s mid-sized sedan remains the same (in the range of Rs 7.38-9.79 lakh, ex-showroom price). The petrol versions carry a price tag of between Rs 7.38 lakh and Rs 8.84 lakh while the diesel variants come for Rs 8.27 lakh-Rs 9.79 lakh.

The new SX4 has two engine options - the Super Turbo 1.3 litre diesel and the 1.6 litre VVT petrol engines and comes with a slew of exterior and interior add-ons along with enhanced performance, according to the company.

The SX4’s 1.6-litre VVT petrol engine offers 103 BHP and 145 Nm torque on tap. The diesel model has 89 BHP and 200 Nm torque.

The new SX4 is believed to deliver an improved fuel efficiency of 16.51 km per litre in petrol.

The diesel one offers 21.79 km per litre and the CNG variant comes with fuel economy of 22.1 km/kg.

On the exterior, the new SX4 sports changes like: it is 10 mm longer owing to the new bumper design. It comes with new chrome front grille, smoked out headlamp garnish and fog lamp with dual-tone garnish.

On the inside, it has black and beige dual-tone interiors, black dashboard and beige seat upholstery, black and marble prints on the interior.

There is also a touchscreen audio system with GPS navigation and Bluetooth and electrically foldable outside rear view mirrors or ORVMs with integrated blinkers. Also present are faux wood armrests along with chrome air conditioner side louvers and chrome finish side handles.

The car is being offered in two new colours — Serene Blue and Granite Grey.

Maruti Suzuki India vice-president (marketing) Manohar Bhat said in a statement, “The all new Maruti Suzuki SX4 comes with fresh looks and also brings new features like touchscreen audio navigation and electronically foldable ORVMs with turn indicator.”

The SX4 was first rolled out in India in 2007 and by bringing in a diesel variant only in 2010, Maruti probably lost out to its competitors so far as sales go with the total sales of the SX4 being just over a lakh units since its rollout.

So, can Maruti Suzuki do a U-turn by ramping up the SX4’s sales with these cosmetic changes and by keeping prices the same?

Maruti Suzuki’s sales has been going down (for instance, by 15 per cent in May) and it is going all out to woo buyers with the attractive limited edition Ritz @buzz and by rolling out the VXI variant of its Alto 800 (with airbag and prudent pricing), which could make a mark in the compact car segment.

The Maruti Suzuki’s limited edition, Ritz @buzz, offers 12 new features, according to the company.

The country’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki is ready to roll out its multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) the Ertiga around mid-April, and with a likely price of Rs 7 lakh to Rs 9 lakh, Maruti’s new car could nibble into the markets of Mahindra’s Xylo and Scorpio, Tata’s Aria as well as Toyota Innova.

The Ertiga will be available in six variants - three diesel models and three petrol versions and be offered in seven colours.

The petrol version of the Ertiga comes with an all new 1.4 litre K-series engine, K-14, which offers a fuel efficiency of 16.02 km per litre, which is quite commendable for an MPV.

The diesel model is propelled by a 1.3 litre DDiS engine with a mileage of 20.77 km per litre – which is high on fuel efficiency also.

With a three-row flexi-seating of 2x3x2, the Ertiga’s length is 4.2 metres, which is a tad less compared with its competitors. For instance, the Innova and Xylo have a length of 4.5 metres.

Ertiga’s top-end model will come with a litany of features like keyless entry, ABS system, two-tone beige interiors as well as steering-mounted audio controls.

Maruti has generally been doing well with its low-end cars (despite a slump now) and vehicles in the high-end category, like the Kizashi and SX4, have not been generating adequate response to satisfy the company.

But with the Ertiga, Maruti Suzuki is eyeing a major share of the utility vehicles market, which currently accounts for almost 15 per cent of passenger vehicle sales in the country.

But the utility vehicles market is a burgeoning one with growth likely to touch over 20 per cent in the next one-two years.

And, judicious pricing can surely help Maruti make its mark in this growing market, which sees an over 25,000 car sales every month.

Maruti Suzuki has seen an overall sales slide of 13 per cent and its small car sales have fallen by 14 per cent. So, the Ertiga could fill in the gap in the swirling MPV market.

“The Ertiga’s first focus will be India. Later, we may roll out the vehicle in Asean nations such as Indonesia,” Mayank Pareek, managing executive officer - sales and marketing - of the company, said.

The Ertiga is based on the Swift platform. The width of the Ertiga is the same as the Swift, which is a tad small for an MPV and the Ertiga’s height has marginally risen to 1,685 mm compared with the Swift’s 1,530 mm.

In 2005, Maruti rolled out the Swift, which has been one of its biggest success stories. But it is unlikely that the car major will replicate this super show with the Ertiga, although the Ertiga could dent the MPV market substantially with its judicious pricing (if that is the case after the prices are announced).

Well, it’s almost identical to the WagonR (except for the front portion) and more expensive, so does Maruti Suzuki need to tom tom the launch of the Stingray and will buyers actually think it’s a fresh offering or an upgraded WagonR?

The compact car Stingray carries a price tag of between Rs 4.1 lakh and Rs 4.67 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi prices). The Stingray, which is propelled by a 998 cc petrol engine, would come in three variants and the company will also roll out a CNG version soon (may be in about a year).

The engine comes with a five-speed manual transmission. So far as power and performance go, the WagonR and the Stingray have 67.1 bhp @ 6,200 rpm power with a torque of 90 Nm @ 3,500 rpm.

With the Stingray, Maruti Suzuki is banking on the youths ahead of the festive season but will the youths be attracted to a new version of the WagonR, which is Rs 20,000 dearer compared to the current model?

“The roll out of the Stingray is in tandem with our strategy to provide new and refurbished models to our customers to stir up the marketplace. The Indian auto industry has been in the grip of a meltdown but the car buyer continues to buy Marutis,” Maruti Suzuki India managing director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa averred.

Maruti Suzuki will have nine models in its compact car stable, he said, putting to rest any speculation that the WagonR would disappear from the market.

"We have sold nearly 1.3 million WagonRs since its launch in December 1999. We are doing an average of about 12,000 cars a month," he added.

But if the Stingray and WagonR co-exist, then they would eat into each other’s markets or cannibalisation would take place in a big way.

With the government planning to put a levy on diesel vehicles, Maruti has launched this petrol car as it feels that people would revert to petrol cars sooner or later.

In July, Maruti Suzuki saw an almost 11 per cent increase in domestic sales at over 63,000 cars. But car sales in the country fell for a record nine months in a row in July, which is a growth decline of 7.5 per cent.

The changes in the Stingray (when compared to the WagonR) include a sleek chrome-finished grille, large air dams along with refurbished fog lamp housings.

The most glaring change in the Stingray is the projector headlamps, which have been introduced for the first time in the compact category.

Other exterior improvements include gunmetal grey coloured alloys, roof mounted rear wing, side skirts and a chrome back door garnish with ‘Stingray’ embossed in bold.

In the interiors, the Stingray comes with all-black theme interiors with tilt adjustable leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, Stingray branded seats, instrument cluster with blue background and electrically adjustable outer mirrors along with power windows.

Also, there is a multi information display which gives insights into the distance the fuel would last, instant and average fuel efficiency. There is also an audio system with in-built USB and AUX support.

So, from the design, car buffs could be under the impression that the Maruti Suzuki Stingray is just another WagonR and this may affect its sales.

Diesel cars, which help trim costs substantially, have always found many takers in India, and in the latest move, Maruti Suzuki has rolled out a diesel variant of the SX4 to take on cars such as the Honda City, Volkswagen Vento and Hyundai Verna.

The price of the SX4 sedan will be Rs 7.74 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), which is at the lower end of the A3 segment in which the SX4 falls.

The car has a maximum power of 90 PS @4,000 rpm, and is available in three variants — VDi and ZDi.

The VDi and ZDi models will priced at Rs 7.74 lakh and Rs 8.62 lakh respectively (ex-showroom Delhi). The ZDI variant also comes with leather seats option.

Cars of Maruti’s competitors in this category are priced around Rs 8-9 lakh and such a low price for a diesel variant could accelerate sales of Maruti Suzuki’s SX4, which is not doing too well.

For instance, the petrol variant was unveiled in India in the year 2007 and has seen sales of 1,800 a month on an average.

Maruti Suzuki managing director and CEO S Nakanishi said, “With a revamped urban landscape, suburbs are now an integral part of cities and the number of people travelling long distances is growing. SX4 diesel comes with an economical yet punchier ride.”

In 2010, Honda City was the highest selling car in the Rs 7-9 lakh car segment with sales of 49,000. On the other hand, the SX4 managed to notch a sales of less than half that figure at around 18,000.

Maruti Suzuki also realized that competition in the segment would also hot up with the launch of the new Hyundai Verna and Ford’s Fiesta, which are to be rolled out in the second half of the calendar year. Had Maruti Suzuki not revved up with the diesel model now, it could have seen a further slide in sales of its SX4.

Maruti Suzuki seems to be keen to take on Honda more than any other car maker in the A3 and above segment. Prior to the launch of the diesel SX4 a couple of weeks ago, Maruti Suzuki had rolled out the Kizashi, which is the car maker’s most expensive offering. The Kizashi will take on the likes of Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata.

The SX4 diesel variant also has another striking and unique feature. It has an On-Board Diagnostics system which provides information about malfunction in the emission control system.

With the launch of the diesel variant, the SX4 is now available in petrol, CNG as well as the diesel models.

The Maruti SX4 comes with five-speed manual transmission and four-speed automatic gearbox and has front ventilated disc and drum type at the rear. The fuel tank has capacity of 50 litres and seating is for five persons.

The company said the diesel variant will offer a powerful performance along with superior engine technology.

Maruti has claimed the car offers a fuel efficiency of 21.5 km per lt and is 8% more efficient than comparable cars.

Generally, car makers tend to price a diesel variant on par with its high-end models. But Maruti Suzuki has been astute enough not to do so. Moreover, the fuel efficiency of 21.5 km/lt on diesel, which is far cheaper than petrol, will also give sales of the SX4 a new fillip and make it a potential threat to Honda City.

The Maruti Celerio has set the market on fire with 1,000 bookings a day, and as things stand now, this car may become the future Alto (the sales figure of this car is the highest in India) for the Japanese major but the new Chevrolet Beat may be a dampener as Chevrolet is rigid on the price front.

Nowadays, we are witnessing a new trend in the auto market where sales of high-end compact cars like the Swift are booming, dislodging the cheaper models, and may be, this pattern has prompted Maruti Suzuki to bring in the Ertiga, which it launched a few days ago.

High-end hatchbacks like the Hyundai’s i20 and Maruti Suzuki’s Swift have seen sales surpass cheaper compact models of their cars like the Santro and WagonR.

During 2011-12, Swift’s sales burgeoned to over 1.5 lakh units, making it the second-most popular car after the Alto, which sold about 3.08 lakh cars during the same period.

With the Ertiga launch, Maruti is looking to regain 50 per cent share in the car market, which it lost over a year and half ago.

The auto major is now riveting on the swelling sports utility vehicle (SUV) market that accounts for over 6 per cent of the 2.5 million passenger cars sold in the country.

While a major chunk of the market has been taken by SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner and Mahindra XUV 500, India’s top carmaker wants to take lead position in the SUV segment and has priced the Ertiga very aggressively.

The multi-purpose vehicle or MPV (which the Ertiga is also called) has been priced between Rs 5.89 lakh and Rs 8.45 lakh, which is much lower compared with competing cars like the Toyota Innova and Mahindra’s Xylo.

Petrol LXi: Rs 5.89 lakh

Petrol VXi: Rs 6.60 lakh

Petrol ZXi: Rs 7.30 lakh

Diesel LDi: Rs 7.30 lakh

Diesel VDi: Rs 7.90 lakh

Diesel ZDi: Rs 8.45 lakh

The Ertiga has already notched over 10,000 bookings in just five days and could create a milestone in the SUV market in the middle term (say around a year or two). It is based on the same platform as the Swift, which is one of India’s most-popular cars. 

The petrol variant of the Ertiga is propelled by a K-series 1.4 litre engine, which produces 95 PS of power and is believed to deliver a fuel economy of 16 km to a litre.

The diesel engine is the Fiat-sourced 1.3 litre DDiS unit, which is also present in the SX4. The engine produces 90 PS of power and has a mileage of 20 km to a litre. These are pretty good for an SUV.

Maruti Suzuki managing director and CEO S Nakanishi said, “Utility vehicles are a promising segment and Maruti has been largely absent in this space. We are giving our customers the option to upgrade to a new flexible vehicle without limitations of size or flexibility of a sedan.”

Maruti Suzuki’s market share slid by 6 per cent to its lowest level of below 40 per cent even as it rolled out highly-successful cars such as the Swift and the Dzire compact versions.

The Ertiga may not only shake up the SUV market with Maruti’s clever pricing, but in the long-term, is likely to become a contender to its sister car, the Swift, and ride the high-end compact car boom, if the initial response is anything to go by.

In one of the biggest launches in recent times (which also found place on Page One of many dailies), Maruti Suzuki has rolled out the new Alto 800, and before the car entered the showroom, the response has been roaring with buzz that this new 800 cc car could turn out to be the highest selling car in India soon.

Maruti Suzuki knows the car market like no one else and has priced the new Alto 800 prudently (in the range of Rs 2.44 lakh to Rs 3.56 lakh).

It has given the new Alto the looks of a high-end hatchback (this contemporary look gives a feel good factor and is sure to draw many buyers).

Maruti Alto 800 variant prices (ex-showroom Delhi) are: Petrol base version Rs 2.44 lakh, Petrol LX Rs 2.76 lakh, Petrol LXI Rs 2.99 lakh, CNG base Rs 3.19 lakh, CNG LX Rs 3.37 lakh and CNG LXI Rs 3.56 lakh.

The new Alto 800 has a refurbished look, is more spacious and is 15% more efficient than the old Alto, according to Maruti Suzuki. The height of the new 800 has been raised significantly.

The new Alto 800 comes with a slew of changes. The car has a new 796-cc petrol engine, which is more fuel efficient than the outgoing model. Also, airbags will come as an optional feature.

Besides the contemporary design, the interiors have been revamped with dual tone upholstery and come with an additional 15 mm rear leg space.

The petrol version comes with a fuel efficiency of 22.74 km per litre and the CNG variant christened ‘Alto Green’, offers a mileage of 30.46 km per kg, which is 15% more efficient than the previous Alto Green.

The new Alto’s petrol engine can belt out 45.7 bhp of power at 6,000 rpm and the maximum torque stands at 69 Nm at 3,500 rpm.

The CNG variant can produce peak power of 40 bhp at 6,200 rpm and a maximum torque of 56 Nm at 3,000 rpm.

The colour options in the Alto 800 will be Frost Blue, Superior White, Silky Silver, Brown, Granite Grey, Blazing Red and Torque Blue Grey.

The Alto 800, which come in Frost Blue, Superior White and Silky Silver colours will have Grey or Brown interior options. But the Granite Grey, Blazing Red and Torque Blue body colours will have Grey interiors.

The Alto 800 will be vying with Tata Motor’s Nano, Hyundai Eon and Chevrolet Spark (a new version of this car will be out soon).

Besides India, the new Alto 800 will be exported to Latin America along with some African countries from the New Year. This seventh generation car is designed specifically for emerging markets instead of developed nations.

So, with prudent pricing and new looks (along with a higher roof), the Alto 800 gives the feel of a high-end hatch at low price and probably this magic of Maruti Suzuki could see the new car’s sales roar, making it India’s highest selling car in the medium to long term.

Maruti Suzuki has prudently priced its new Swift petrol version but even with a high pricing, the car maker could have garnered adequate numbers as the Swift has turned into an iconic brand with the model’s sales largely remaining immune to its pricing.

This new Swift petrol variant will surely trigger another round of price war in the hatchback segment, where car makers, to tide the recent downturn in the industry, are likely to pare prices further.

Even though the diesel models have been priced a tad on the higher side, the new Swift diesel is set to generate phenomenal response as just the Swift name will do the trick for Maruti Suzuki.

The new Swift will be priced between Rs 4.22 lakh and Rs 5.53 lakh for the petrol variant while the diesel version has been priced at a tad on the steeper side at Rs 5.17 lakh-Rs 6.38 lakh.

The new Swift is one of the rare cars that managed to stay immune to a moderately high pricing policy.

Maruti Suzuki has already received a whopping 50,000 bookings for the new Swift.

And, Maruti can justify the current pricing policy of the new Swift. Built on a new platform, Maruti’s hatchback now comes with improved fuel efficiency.

Well, it has a mind blowing 140 new features, some of which are entirely new for an entry-level variant, according to the company.

In the new Swift, the latest weight reduction techniques have aided the car maker’s engineers to do a bit of innovation so as to make the new Swift more fuel efficient — at 23 km/litre (6 per cent more) for the diesel version and 18.5 km/litre or 4 per cent more for the petrol variant.

Maruti has also rolled out the VVT engine technology in its petrol variant, which offers 87 PS of power, while the DDiS diesel engine comes with 75 PS of power.

From outside, it is easy to tell that the new Swift is bigger compared with the old model (90 mm longer and 5 mm wider). It is also 30 kg lighter. However, leg space seems to be almost equal to the current Swift.

The new Swift has a new dashboard and instrument panel and the plastic inside is of superior quality. The front lamps are substantially bigger.

Maruti Suzuki has bet big on the project as it knows response to the new Swift will remain buoyant even in the medium to long term.

Maruti Suzuki, which is planning to infuse a whopping Rs 550 crore into the new project, has sold over six lakh Swift cars within a span of six years (the Swift was launched in 2005).

A bullish Shinzo Nakanishi, Maruti Suzuki’s managing director and CEO, said, “We have rolled out the new Swift at a time when there is substantial demand for even the outgoing set of models. Owing to the Swift’s iconic status, we had to ensure that the brand continues to offer the latest and the best in features, design, performance and aspiration levels.”

He added, “We are ramping up production of the car to about 17,000 units in the next few months from the current 12,000 units. Our second production unit at Manesar in Haryana is likely to produce the new Swift from next month. This will help bring down the waiting period from the current 3-4 months to 2-3 months.”

The car maker plans to bring in the sedan version of the new Swift also but refused to set a time frame for the new sedan.

Buyers who want to lap up the new Swift must do so immediately, as they could get a bargain with the current pricing.

Maruti Suzuki has already received a whopping 50,000 bookings for the new Swift, which means it will have to scurry to meet deadlines and even if the car maker raises the price of the new Swift in the short to medium term (owing to its demand), sales will remain largely untamed.

The Alto 800 has seen runaway sales this year: till July, the car had notched nearly 1.4 lakh sales, and Maruti Suzuki, to celebrate a year of the car’s launch (and rev up its market share further), has rolled out the ‘Anniversary Edition’ while the Tatas have launched a CNG variant (emax) of the Nano to beef up sales (as the car’s figures had fallen far below expectations).

Hyundai Motor India has rolled out a special edition of its i10 dubbed iTech, priced between Rs 4.24 lakh and Rs 4.57 lakh (ex-showroom rates), to celebrate the 12 lakh sales milestone, which the hatchback achieved recently, and this special edition could give a further fillip to sales, but the new WagonR, which could also enhance Maruti’s sales, comes with a price advantage.

The special i10 edition or ‘iTech’ will come in 1.1 litre and 1.2 litre engine options. The special Edition i10 will be available in the Era (1.1 litre) and Magna (1.2 litre) models.

Commenting on the special edition i10, Hyundai vice-president (sales and marketing) Rakesh Srivastava said, “It is our continuous endeavour to take note of changing customer preferences and introduce enhanced features in our cars so that car buffs get better value offering.”

The special i10 edition will come with a slew of features like rear-view parking camera, electrochromic function on cabin rear view mirror and steering-mounted Bluetooth device.

On the exterior, the styling is complemented by sporty ‘iTech ’body graphics. Inside the cabin, it has sporty interiors with dual tone red and beige upholstery seats with red dashboard and door armrest inserts.

Maruti Suzuki, which is India’s largest car maker (in terms of sales volume), is also taking steps to stay updated, considering the customer’s discerning choice, and has upgraded its popular selling car, the WagonR, recently in both the exterior as well as the interior with a marginal hike in prices.

The LX variant of the new WagonR comes for Rs 3.58 lakh while the top-end model (VXi) is priced at Rs 4.42 lakh.

The new WagonR is propelled by the usual K10 1 litre 3-cylinder engine, which produces 68 bhp and 90 Nm of torque.

The front wears a refurbished look with the car sporting a fresh grille which is sleeker and has a single horizontal strip compared to the three that existed in the previous model, which has been phased out.

The mid-range and high-end LXi and VXi versions have extra chrome on them. The bumpers of the new WagonR have been restyled and contain larger vents.

A new fog lamp also gives a new look to the WagonR 2013. According to Maruti Suzuki, the external changes have led to reduced wind noise at higher speeds.

So, judicious pricing by the Japanese car major (keeping prices almost the same as old rates), may help new Maruti WagonR’s sales soar, and even the iTech version of the i10 may sell well despite a pretty steep price tag, although the former is clearly the winner in terms of price advantage.

Maruti, despite being the country’s top car seller, hasn’t really been doing too well with its A-Star car and in an effort to rev up sales of this sagging car and counter negative effects of the slowdown in Europe, it has rolled out the 2012 A-Star.

The new A-Star will come in five variants - LXI, VXI, VXI AT and ZXI (with or without ABS and airbags). Prices of the five models range from Rs 3.66 lakh to Rs 4.40 lakh. The costs are just about Rs 1,000 more than the old variants of the car.

However, there is no improvement on the engine front with the 2012 A-Star coming with the same 998 cc K10B petrol engine with 67 PS power as well as 90 NM torque.

The gear options are as usual: a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

Airbags and ABS are now optional and the new A-Star comes in two new colours, Glistening Grey and Pearl Caffeine Brown.

On the interior front, the 2012 A-Star offers dual tone beige and black upholstery. The car will now come with 50:50 rear split seats and more “cubby” holes in the cabin.

The new A-Star also has new alloy wheels along with an integrated rear spoiler.

An upbeat Shashank Srivastava, chief general manager (marketing), Maruti Suzuki, said, “The A-star is one of the most vibrant brands in our portfolio. Some of its key features such as contemporary styling, dynamic handling and high ride quality along with best-in-class turning radius, power, flat torque and superior performance has made the A-star popular among the youth.”

Domestic sales haven’t been too good for Maruti with regard to the A-Star.

For instance, Maruti-Suzuki’s overall sales grew 5 per cent in January (which is quite good considering the auto slowdown that is lingering in the country) but sales of its mini cars (800, Alto, A-Star and WagonR) plunged by 2.4%,

However, the export market for the A-Star has been looking up ever since its inception.

The auto giant exported over 2.8 lakh cars of the A-Star so far to over 130 countries, mainly to markets in Europe like the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK. The car has also made an entry into markets like Australia and South Africa.

The 2012 A-Star has seen a meager Rs 1,000 hike in prices, which clearly indicates that the auto major is targeting the domestic market in a big way, and these new features like the refurbished interior, could also give a further fillip to the already high export volume of this car.

With the 2012 A-Star launch, Maruti Suzuki is targeting the Indian market in the wake of the slowdown in Europe and also because the Indian market usually remains impervious to a global slowdown.

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?

Maruti Suzuki now knows that the iconic 800 (whose production has been stopped for Metro and Tier-I cities) is just not good enough to vie with the likes of Hyundai’s Eon and Tata’s new Nano, and so, India’s largest car maker has unveiled plans to bring in by Diwali the Cervo, which could be a runaway success in a short while.

The Cervo, which will be priced over Rs 2 lakh, should have a price advantage over Eon, considering its mind blowing design. But the Nano has been improved on many fronts also, claim its buyers.

 

According to one of the buyers, the new Nano’s AC is more powerful than the old one, the ride is a smooth one and accidental fire incidents are unlikely (as the car has been thoroughly checked by experts).

So, does Maruti Suzuki’s bid to roll out the all-new Swift DZire, a truncated version of the old model that comes not only with a slew of new features but also a lower price, indicate that it wants to attract low-end sedan buyers?

It shows that even during a slowdown, the most popular cars can hit a bump. In fact, continuous strike at Maruti’s Manesar plant in Haryana during the last few months also played a part for this move.

During the stir, Maruti could not meet delivery schedules prompting players such as Ford, GM, Toyota and others to offer high-quality products at competitive prices (and they even offered diesel variants).

Swift DZire is the leader in its category with over 40 per cent market share in the entry-level sedan segment. It sells almost 10,000 cars a month.

This stir eroded Maruti’s market share and in order to get it back, the country’s highest car seller is offering cheaper variants of the Swift DZire.

While the petrol variants of the new Swift DZire are priced from Rs 4.79 lakh to Rs 6.54 lakh, the diesel versions come for Rs 5.80 lakh-Rs 7.09 lakh.

The new DZire will be available in seven variants and a segment first four-speed petrol automatic version will be a part of the offer.

The facade of the new Swift DZire now comes with a unique bumper and grille, powerful fog lamps and character lines on the bonnet.

Other modifications on the exterior are the ORVM-mounted turn signal indicators, vertical lamps, motion-theme alloy wheels and a wrap-around cabin wind screen, among others. The rear wears a sportier look with an antenna, integrated spoiler and trapezoidal tail lamps.

The new Swift DZire, however, has more width, is higher and comes with a larger wheel, besides being fuel-efficient by almost 10 per cent in petrol (19.1 km to a litre) and almost the same in diesel (23.4 km to a litre) compared to the earlier versions.

The petrol version of the DZire comes with a new 1.2 litre K-12M VVT engine that offers 87 PS power while the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine is propelled by 75 PS power.

“We and our vendors have invested over Rs 230 crore for this model change of the Swift DZire, This is over and above the Rs 550 crore invested towards the new Swift launched a few months earlier,” Maruti Suzuki managing director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said.

Mayank Pareek, managing executive officer (marketing and sales), Maruti Suzuki, said, “The new model is cheaper by Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000 when compared to the previous version. We have also rolled out an automatic transmission in the mid-variant (petrol) as there is demand for it, particularly by women.”

With the new Swift DZire, Maruti has made an effort to create a new category between the high-end hatchback and the low-end sedan.

So, will Maruti Suzuki be able to draw low-end sedan buyers with its move of launching a cheaper Swift DZire?

Maruti Suzuki has finally forayed into the premium segment, with the launch of its luxury sedan Kizashi and has immediately generated a huge number of queries from all across India, indicating that this moderately-priced luxury car could help accelerate the auto giant’s numbers substantially.

The Kizashi would come in two variants: the manual transmission variant will carry a price tag of Rs 16.5 lakh and the automatic transmission version will come for Rs 17.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Prospective buyers can book the Kizashi by depositing Rs 50,000 and deliveries are likely to begin in a month or two.

The Kizashi is propelled by a 2.4 litre DOHC J–Series engine that will offer 178 PS@ 6,500 rpm and the highest torque of 230 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. Maruti Suzuki has said the sedan will come with a fuel efficiency of 12.53 km per litre, which is commendable, considering that it falls in the luxury category.

The car will be available in Snow White Pearl, Super Black Pearl and Premium Silver Metallic colours.

“It is manufactured at Suzuki Motor’s Sagara plant (in Japan) and will be brought to India as a completely built-up unit. After the Kizashi’s launch in Japan in late 2009, the car hit the US roads,” Maruti Suzuki said.

During the launch, Shinzo Nakanishi, managing director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The Kizashi is a gigantic step for Maruti Suzuki. With the roll out of this sedan, Maruti Suzuki is now offering an international car to high-end customers in the country.”

The Kizashi will compete with a gamut of cars such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (in the upper end category) and Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Corolla (in the lower end). These cars are priced around the Rs 12-20 lakh-mark.

Speculation was rife that Kizashi will be priced steeply as Maruti had said it will import the car from its parent Suzuki’s plant in Japan. But that has been put to rest.

Maruti Suzuki has captured nearly 50 per cent share in the total Indian car market with sales of a whopping 1.87 million units in 2010.

The car maker has been trying to get into the luxury car segment for some time now. Its first attempt with the Baleno, although a sub-luxury category car, didn’t meet with much success but the company has been able to generate a fair amount of response for its mid-sized sedan SX4, launched in 2007.

For instance in January, Maruti Suzuki sold 978 SX4 SUVs, although a slide of over 15 per cent when compared to the same month last year, while the Baleno has been phased out.

The car giant has been in the limelight for small cars in India and as per its sales, it is the undisputed leader in this category in the country. As per estimates, the size of the luxury car segment in India is over 55,000 units per year.

At least, if the design and the specifications are any indication, the Kizashi does have the look of an elegant luxury liner, although it resembles the SX4 somewhat.

With the Kizashi having a substantial price advantage over cars such as the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata, and even the low-end Mercedes-Benz cars, it is likely to maintain Maruti Suzuki’s sales tempo.

Ahead of the festive season, Maruti Suzuki is revving up in the mid-hatchback segment (where it is the clear number one player), rolling out the Ritz diesel for a starting price of Rs 5.31 lakh (showroom) and such a variant may help the company scale new heights.

The new Ritz is powered by a 1,248 cc DDiS diesel engine.

The diesel engine comes with a torque of 190 Nm @ 2,000 rpm and an amazing power of 75 ps @ 4,000 rpm along with five-step multi-injection technology for seamless and effortless driving.

Ritz diesel can reach from 0 to 60 km per hour in just 5.9 seconds, a mind blowing feat!

A diesel vehicle is surely going to find many takers in India as it has two advantages: it is not only cheaper compared to a petrol car (petrol prices are at Rs 76 and diesel Rs 50) but also more fuel efficient than petrol variants.

According to Maruti Suzuki, the new Ritz will be 10 per cent more fuel efficient than the petrol version at almost 24 km to a litre.

A company statement said, “A pleasant delight is the 10 per cent boost in mileage from the previous 21.1 km per litre to 23.2 km per litre now for the Ritz diesel. This has been made possible with numerous initiatives by the company’s engineers.”

The new Ritz diesel comes with a litany of changes or 52 changes in precise. Some of them include refurbished front design, multi-information display on instrument panel, new dual tone interiors, new audio system along with USB, rear view mirrors which are electrically adjustable and body side moulding.

Among the new changes are reduced friction engine and calibration optimisation. The new Ritz will come in three new colours: Mystique Red, Granite Grey and Breeze Blue.

With the rollout of the diesel Ritz, the auto giant has introduced the new ZDi variant (top-end version) also which it has priced at Rs 6.23 lakh.

This version comes with features like alloy wheels, dual front air bags and steering audio controls.

Like any other hatch, Ritz has also turned out to be an extremely popular car for Maruti Suzuki and has already surpassed sales of over two lakh in a time period of only three years. The car crossed one lakh sales figure in just 17 months of its roll out.

Maruti Suzuki has the following advantages over any other auto company. Its cars are highly fuel efficient and parts are readily available across the country.

The auto company has also understood the psyche of the Indian customer like no other car major. That is why it is holding on to nearly 50 per cent of the car market in India.

So with a diesel Ritz variant, Maruti Suzuki is set to scale new heights so far as sales as well as earnings go.