Maruti fumes at rivals on small car emissions debate

To make its case, the carmaker cited global norms on structured relief for compact cars

- Ayaan Kartik

Maruti says it remains committed to reviving the small-car segment even as it expands its SUV lineup.

(REUTERS)

Maruti Suzuki on Monday renewed its pitch for policy support for small cars, urging the government to retain relaxations for these vehicles in the next phase of Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (Cafe 3) norms.

The carmaker argued that most global markets offer structured relief for compact cars, even as several homegrown and foreign automakers have taken a contrary view.

At a virtual press conference, Maruti’s leadership said the company remains committed to reviving the small-car segment even as it expands its sports utility vehicle (SUV) lineup, pointing out that major markets—from China and Europe to Korea, Japan and the US—use weightor footprint-based relaxations in their efficiency frameworks.

“More than 90% of the world automobile market provides structured relaxations for small cars,” said Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer, corporate affairs at Maruti.