There had been market speculations that Maruti is planning to launch a 660cc engine car priced at $3800 or Rs. 1.5 lakh to compete with Tata’s small car – Nano. However, the company has issued an official press release stating that it has no plans to launch any sub-800 low cost car in India.
The Press release stated, “Maruti offered the first People's Car, Maruti 800, about 24 years ago. Since then, India's middle class and Maruti's customers have grown in every facet of their lives. Their incomes have gone up significantly. Their lifestyles have improved in ways that were hard to imagine a decade ago. Within the space of a generation, the "People" who bought "People's Cars" have transformed almost beyond recognition.”
Suzuki and Maruti's approach of "World Strategic Models", which includes cars like Swift, SX4 and Grand Vitara, ensures that Indian customers get international quality and style at the same time as customers in markets like Europe and Japan. The success of these cars in the market has endorsed our view, and we want to pursue this strategy with greater vigour in future.
In future, the company plans to launch World Strategic Models like Splash and A-Star, as part of the same conscious effort to offer international quality and design to Indian customers at an attractive price.
Our view is that as Indian middle class families move up in life, they should continue to receive a range of cars from Maruti Suzuki that offer superior quality, international design and rich features. That is where our focus will lie.
Maruti Suzuki reiterates that we have no plans of developing or offering a new car below the Maruti 800.”
On the other hand, Maruti would definitely by replacing its new series of cars with the GenNext engines – K Series. They are the new petrol engines that would be first visible in Maruti’s new model A-Star. Zen, Estilo, Swift and WagonR would also carry the new engine thereafter.
