Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) is working on a small sport utility vehicle to beat other raising segments in the domestic car market. It is considering a vehicle on the lines of the ‘Suzuki Jimny' which is a two-door petrol engine SUV sold in Japan, but will go for a diesel-powered four-door version for the home market.The car market leader target to launch seven new models in the next two years. This includes a new small-car in the Alto segment, mostly developed by its local R&D team, and a “Toyota Innova-type” MPV possibly based on the RIII concept. In 2011, Maruti will also launch the Kizashi sedan in January, the SX4 diesel variant around February, followed by the new Swift in March-April and the Swift Dzire models.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Swift and Swift Dzire model refreshments will empower them in a segment where it is already the No 1 player. Al these launches would help Maruti maintain close to a 50 per cent market share, even as overall car sales are expected to grow 20-25 per cent next year.
“We're looking at how to strengthen our portfolio and are identifying new gaps. We're actively looking at the small SUV space … this will have to be a four-door diesel model, as a petrol two-door SUV will not click with the Indian consumer. We're working on an almost new concept for this,” said a senior company official.
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