Maruti Suzuki India has appointed Mr. Hisashi Takeuchi as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1st April 2022, consequent to the completion of the term of Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa on 31st March 2022. Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, who was the current MD and CEO, will continue as a Whole-time Director designated as Executive Vice Chairman till 30th September 2022.
Official statements
Speaking on the transition, Mr. Ayukawa said “India is one of the most interesting and promising automobile markets in the world and it has been both a challenging and a fulfilling stint for me. Mr. Takeuchi has an excellent understanding of the Indian as well as international markets and is placed well to lead Maruti Suzuki into the future. I wish him a successful journey ahead.”
Mr. Takeuchi shared “I thank the Board of Directors for placing this trust in me. Maruti Suzuki is a great organization with a rich legacy and it will be my endeavor that we keep serving more and more customers both in India and the world with exciting cars that are good for them, the environment, and society. We will also try to build our business in a manner that strengthens Atma-Nirbhar Bharat and the economic growth of India.”
Maruti Suzuki: Upcoming launches
The next launch that we expect to see from the Indian carmaker is the facelifted Ertiga. Design-wise, there is no drastic change. The only noticeable change is the grille and black surrounds for the fog lamp. Coming to the side, the overall silhouette also remains the same. It seems like the alloy wheels will be carried over from the current model as well.
The rear also remains unchanged when compared to the current one. There are certain changes in the interior like new upholstery, a new touch screen (same as the new 2022 Baleno), wireless charging, dedicated AC vents for the third row, and cruise control. Features like projector headlights, auto climate control, and a push-button start/stop system will continue to be offered with the facelifted Ertiga. It is expected to come with the same 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine.
The engine is tuned to generate 105 hp of peak power and 138 Nm of maximum twist. This power is sent to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox that comes as standard but Maruti also offers a four-speed automatic as an option. There are rumors of the facelifted Ertiga coming with a new 6-speed automatic transmission.