Maruti chalks out roadmap to 3 million units per annum

IT has Been 30 Years since Maruti suzuki launched the 800 in 1984. The 2013-14 annual meeting of Maruti suzuki’s shareholders furnished plenty of information and hints about the manufacturer's future plans and the road map it has laid out to achieve those aims.

Without giving a definite date for their goals, Maruti suzuki India (MsI) Chairman rC Bhargava said that they are targeting sales of three million vehicles annually. however, the mid-term goal within the next five years MsI plans to sell more than two million vehicles annually, helped by an expansion of their India line-up.

The Maruti suzuki Ciaz, recently spotted testing on Indian roads, will probably be the first product of the Maurti 2.0 strategy. This sporty-looking sedan, originally showcased at the 2014 auto expo, will replace the sX4 in the Indian market. There are rumours that Maruti suzuki has stopped production of the sX4 to make way for the new Ciaz, which will launch in september. The Ciaz  is expected to share its engines with the ertiga MPV the 94bhp 1.4-litre petrol, and the 92bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel. as the 1.3-litre diesel may be too small for the mid-sized sedan, it is possible that Maruti suzuki will source a larger MultiJet engine.

the Maruti suzuki Ciaz will probably be the first product of the Maruti 2.0 strategy

Maruti suzuki aims to enter new segments such as the sUV/MUV segment and the light commercial vehicles (LCV) segment, though they haven’t confirmed if the sUV will be the Xa alpha concept sUV that was shown at the 2014 auto expo. There are also rumours of a brand new alto 800. Besides new models, the manufacturer also plans to expand its research and development capabilities.

The inevitable petrol/diesel price parity aside, the manufacturer also has plans to introduce an 800cc compact diesel engine which will do duty in its hatchbacks. With development on-going, they also plan to enhance its r&D capability to increase fuel efficiency of all models, develop eco-friendly vehicles, and provide more fuel options such as diesel, CnG and LPG in existing models. The Japanese manufacturer has made plans to invest in electric  and hybrid technology, automated manual transmissions and better infotainment systems.

Maruti suzuki is known in the country for its massive dealership network though the company is looking at expanding its rural base to include more ‘r-outlets’ and give a push to its Maruti Mobile support (MMs) vehicles, of which 1000 units are in operation currently, providing doorstep service to almost 32,000 customers every month.