Being a huge name in the passenger sector, it was a bold step on the part of Maruti to launch itself in the commercial vehicle segment. It has been developing Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) with the codename Y9T, which will be the first launch of the brand in this segment. This machine will be powered by a new diesel engine and will be launched by the end of this financial year. However, some issues might have cropped up during the launch of this product and Maruti has decided to delay the process. If things are exactly the same as it seems, the product will be launched in the market by the next financial year.
In a statement, Maruti had declared that it was not sure about the marketing possibilities of this LCV. As a result of this factor, it is not planning to go for a full-on commercial launch of this bike by the start of 2015 as it was earlier decided. Instead, the course of the process is now such that the makers will selectively launch it in few markets in January to March 2015. Depending on the feedback during this period, the product will be launched all over India later on.
Maruti should keep in mind that the commercial vehicle sector is miles apart from the passenger division. Different types of customers are tended and the demands are entirely independent of each other. Even though Maruti has a strong foothold of 45 per cent in the passenger segment, it will have to build its name in the field of LCVs right from scratch. It has to learn at a fast pace and realise the demands in advance. Then only, it is possible that Maruti will grab a hold of things in the commercial market.
Maruti will build separate outlets for the commercial vehicle sector, somewhat outside from the city. On the other hand, the passenger vehicle outlets are built within the city. This is mainly because of the fact that it does not want two different types of customers coming under the same roof. Commercial outlets being located outside the city will also mean that the net expenditure for such dealerships will be less.
