MSIL, country’s largest car maker is working on a multi utility vehicle (MUV) that is spacious on inside (with a seating capacity of up to seven) and compact on outside. The MUV will be an important launch as it will be interesting to see how the leading manufacturer fares in this fast developing segment. It may be noted that the now defunct Maruti Suzuki Versa never met with the kind of success the manufacturer had hoped for and only after serious cost cutting, it is so that the Ecco (re-invented Versa) is doing good numbers. The upcoming MUV has been the hard work of Maruti’s Indian engineers coupled with consultancy provided by Suzuki’s R&D team. Expect the prototype to be showcased at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. Hatchbacks have been traditionally a strong point of Maruti Suzuki and going by the strong sales figures of Mahindra Bolero along with TATA providing a makeover to the Grande, the need of the hour for Maruti is to mark its presence in this competitive segment. Reliable information says Maruti’s MUV will hit the market by March 2012.
Maruti seems to be getting aggressive with the development of the aforementioned MUV, a compact Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) and a SUV based on the platform of it’s SX4 sedan. We are of the view that hardly any other manufacturer understands the Indian automotive scenario the way Maruti does. Hence, these new products should be as competent as they can get.
Fingers crossed!