Maruti Aims To Give Hyundai & Kia Sleepless Nights By Improving Midsize SUV Market Share

Maruti Suzuki wants to increase its market share in the midsize SUV segment currently led by Hyundai and Kia India.

The market leader understands that in order to maintain its overall market share, which is around 50 percent, it needs to work on the midsize SUV segment.

Maruti’s Vitara Brezza has been regularly on top of the sub-4-metre compact SUV sales chart. The brand is also set to introduce the next-generation version of the compact SUV and the 5-door Jimny in 2022 to fortify its position in the segment.

However, its midsize SUV, the S-Cross, which rivals the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, has not been able to so much as make a dent in their sales. In May, Maruti only managed to find 231 takers for the S-Cross, which is a fraction of what the Korean midsize SUVs could manage.

According to Executive Director (Marketing and Sales), Maruti Suzuki, Shashank Srivastava, the S-Cross has “given us suboptimal numbers so far, which we intend to increase in the coming years.”

He added that the carmaker is “looking at this segment very, very carefully,” and, indicating at a new launch, stated that “definitely, we will see some action there.”

It is well known that Maruti and Toyota are jointly developing a product, which will be sold under both brands, to rival the leading pair of the midsize SUV segment.

To be manufactured at Toyota’s Bidadi facility, the cars will be based on the Toyota DNGA platform and likely be powered by Maruti’s 1.5-litre petrol engine featuring mild-hybrid tech.

The Maruti midsize SUV market share which currently stands at 13.2 percent should increase post the introduction of the carmaker’s Creta rival.

Srivastava noted that one of the constraints in retaining Maruti’s current market share is its lower-than-expected performance in the SUV segment. “So, the area to focus is the mid-SUV segment,” he added.