Maruti Suzuki will be venturing into new segments next year with the S-Cross, while its existing range of products will get updated with new powertrains and AMT units.
Maruti Suzuki has had a positive year of sales throughout 2014 with a dominant 45 percent of passenger vehicle market share, despite the overall sluggish market sentiment. With the advent of the new year in days to come, the automaker plans to maintain the impressive double-digit growth in 2015 and has an onslaught of products that not only include completely new launches, but comprehensive updates to the existing range as well. The next year will also see the predominantly hatchback maker venture into newer segments.
The first quarter of the year will see Maruti Suzuki launch the S-Cross compact SUV by the end of January in the country. Scheduled to compete against the Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and the likes, the S-Cross will be loaded with equipment and is likely to come with all-wheel drive as optional. In addition, Maruti will also launch the Y9T (codename) LCV and Celerio diesel, both of which will employ the newly developed 798cc twin-cylinder engine.
Further down the year, Maruti has planned the facelifted versions of the Ertiga, Swift DZire and Eeco with the models to get a revised front fascia and mild updates to the interior. The automaker is also planning to update the Ertiga, DZire and Wagon R with the AMT unit next year (replacing the 4-speed auto unit on the DZire) after updating the Alto K10 earlier this year. The company’s gamble with the premium Ciaz also seems to be paying off with the demand of the sedan on the upside and is expected to continue in the coming year as well, a limited edition RS variant is planned.
The April-November 2014 period saw Maruti gain a 44.8 percent share of the passenger vehicle market at a three-year high, while its overall market share was at a five year high at 51.9 percent. The company is aiming to maintain the double-digit growth throughout the 2016 fiscal. However for products like the Celerio diesel, it will be interesting to see if the market accepts diesel vehicles at this price point, especially with the market shifting back to petrol powered vehicles due to the drastic change in fuel prices.
