Betting Big On SUVs, EVs

Market leader in passenger cars, Maruti is getting ready to extend its dominance in the SUV and EV segments

- SUMAN K. JHA

The June launch of the Jimny, the much-awaited SUV from the Maruti Suzuki stable, promises to be a keenly watched affair. Till last week of May, it had got pre-bookings of around 30,000 units. With this, the SUV segment, currently led by Mahindra's Thar, is set to witness intense competition. There are as many as 46 brands in the SUV space. Maruti's SUVs include Brezza and Grand Vitara.

There is a historical reason why Maruti Suzuki didn't venture into SUVs in early years. In a recent interview with BW Businessworld, Maruti Chairman R.C. Bhargava explained the reasons. He said: "We were a little slow in getting into SUVs. One of the reasons was that Suzuki, and therefore, Maruti, was never very strong in diesel engines. Suzuki was actually originally a petrol-only car manufacturer," he adds.

Now, however, Maruti is eyeing "at least 25 percent market share of SUVs this year". The Jimny launch is thus important and much-anticipated for the auto major.