Maruti Suzuki's Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder-based hybrid SUV launch soon, check details

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., the largest automaker in India, will concentrate on the mid-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) sector after producing a number of hatchback vehicles. The first midsize SUV "hatchling" from Maruti Suzuki will be a hybrid with two powertrain options: mild and powerful. According to Maruti's Senior Executive Director of Marketing & Sales, Shashank Srivastava, the vehicle will be made at the company's Bidadi, Karnataka, plant. The SUV will be unveiled during the third week of July, and mass production will begin from August, he said. Srivastava said the company has a dominant presence (67 per cent market share) in the non-SUV segment but is lagging in the SUV market, which is growing and also throwing up several sub-segments.

There are about 48 SUVs in the Indian market, while Maruti Suzuki has a minor presence here. "The upcoming hybrid SUV will be a game-changer. We may discontinue the S-Cross model later," Srivastava said.

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The car major will be focusing on the SUV segment with more new models in the future as new features are emerging with the increase in sales volumes, he added.

"For instance, the lifestyle SUV market is emerging. We have identified many SUV subsegments," he said. As regards the shortage in semiconductor chips, he said the planned production level is about 94-95 per cent.

Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki sold a total of 155,857 units in June 2022. Total sales in the month include domestic sales of 125,710 units, sales to other vehicle makers of 6,314 units, and exports of 23,833 units.

With inputs from IANS