SUVs and MPVs help Maruti Suzuki clock 15% jump in car sales in March

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By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 01 Apr 2024, 17:24 PM

Models like Fronx, Brezza and Grand Vitara continue to lead Maruti Suzuki’s charge in the SUV segment while Ertiga and XL6 power the carmaker in MPV s

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Maruti SUVs
Maruti Suzuki continues to witness increase in sales of its utility vehicles with SUVs like Fronx, Brezza, Grand Vitara and Jimny.

Utility vehicles have proved to be the game-changer for Maruti Suzuki yet again as the carmaker recorded a 15 per cent jump in passenger car sales in March. With the help of SUVs and MPVs like Brezza and Ertiga among others, Maruti clocked more than 1.52 lakh sales last month. While the utility vehicle segment continues to witness rise in sales, the compact cars like Baleno and Swift continues a downslide for the carmaker. Overall, Maruti Suzuki ended the financial year with record sales of more than 21 lakh cars.

Compact cars from Maruti Suzuki continues to be the biggest contributor to its sales despite falling numbers. Maruti sells models like Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift and WagonR in this segment. In March, Maruti clocked 71,832 units in the segment which is lower than 69,844 units it could sell during the same month last year. Maruti is expected to see some upward movement in the segment when it launches the facelift version of the Swift and Dzire sometime later this year.

The biggest gainer among Maruti cars are its SUVs and MPVs. With sales of 58,436 units in March, Maruti saw an impressive 57 per cent increase over 37,054 units sold in March last year. SUVs like Brezza, Fronx and Grand Vitara remain the best-selling models for Maruti in this segment. In the MPV segment, Ertiga and XL6 remain among the top-selling models.

Also Read : EVs and CNG cars power Tata Motors in March with 14% increase in sales.

Small cars like Alto and S-Presso also saw rise in sales in the last month of the fiscal. The two models found 11,829 takers in March, marginally higher than 11,582 unit sales during the same month last year. Ciaz, the only mid-size sedan in Maruti’s lineup, saw only 590 units dispatched last month.

Also Read : Hyundai Creta walks away with another record month, 16,458 units sold in March.

Overall, Maruti sold 21.35 lakh cars in the last 12 months, a record for India’s largest car manufacturer. Out of these, Maruti’s sale in India was nearly 17.60 lakh with almost 10 per cent increase over the last financial year. In FY2023-24, Maruti’s overall exports also hit a record of 2.83 lakh units. In March alone, Maruti exported 25,892 units.

First Published Date: 01 Apr 2024, 17:24 PM IST

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Why India is in love with hybrid cars?

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Why India is in love with hybrid cars

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By: Mainak Das
| Updated on: 06 Mar 2024, 15:13 PM

  • Hybrid cars have been increasingly becoming popular across India, bridging the gap between electric cars and ICE models.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara
Hybrid cars have been increasingly becoming popular across India, bridging the gap between electric cars and ICE models.

Hybrid cars are gradually gaining higher traction in the Indian passenger vehicle market. Over the last few years, several automakers present in the Indian market have been shifting their focus on bringing in new cleaner and greener powertrain technologies. While the ultimate goal remains steady on battery electric vehicles, hybrid cars are bridging the gap between pure EVs and fossil fuel-propelled models that run on petrol or diesel.

Market data reveals that between September and November 2023, sales of hybrid cars surged significantly surpassing the electric car retail numbers. While electric car sales have been witnessing a marginal slowdown, in sync with the worldwide trend, hybrid cars are recording a ramp-up in growth. As the numbers testify, a total of 24,062 units of hybrid cars were sold between September and November last year, as against 21,455 units of battery electric cars.

The question is why Indians are in love with hybrid cars instead of pure electric vehicles.

Advantages of hybrid technology over pure ICE or EV

It is well known that hybrid cars offer the benefit of both worlds, internal combustion engines (ICE) and electric vehicles (EV), by combining a fossil fuel engine with an electric motor and a battery pack. By blending the best of both worlds, the hybrid powertrain technology not only ensures lower tailpipe emission compared to pure petrol or pure diesel models but also offers lower fuel consumption and longer driving range, eventually resulting in financial savings for the vehicle owners.

At the same time, hybrid powertrain technology comes at a cheaper cost compared to pure electric vehicles. Besides that, using a hybrid car boosts the consumers’ confidence in electrified propulsion technology. There are different types of hybrid powertrain technology available in the market, which include micro hybrid, mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid. In the first two variants, the electric motor acts as an assisting component for the internal combustion engine, which generates the actual propulsion power, while in the latter two variants, the electric motor itself can generate propulsion power for the vehicle with assistance from a battery pack. Many full hybrid or plug-in hybrid cars can run about 50-kilometre distance on electric power alone.

Watch: Do Hybrid Cars Make More Sense Than EVs In India? | All Things EV | HT Auto

Hybrid cars offer a cost-effective solution against pure ICE, EV and CNG models

In the last few years, several automakers in the Indian passenger vehicle market have launched their respective hybrid cars. Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Honda City and Toyota Innova Hycross are some of the key passenger vehicles in the country, which currently are sold as hybrid models. Interestingly, the hybrid powertrain technology has penetrated not only the mass-market segment but the luxury segment as well. The reason behind this is the rising consumer demand for this tech.

Multiple factors have played their bit in this growth story of hybrid cars. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, demands for personal mobility have surged drastically. At the same time, sky-high petrol and diesel prices and the significantly high cost of acquisition for electric cars have paved the way for hybrid cars in India, which satiate the requirement for lower tailpipe emission in the face of tightening emission norms and growing concern for environmental pollution. Besides that, the promise of a longer driving range and lower fuel consumption too helped the growth of hybrid cars.

Petrol and diesel prices in India have shot up by around 41 per cent since 2019. In such a situation increased availability of CNG kits in the aftermarket and OEMs introducing petrol-CNG cars have offered the consumers a viable solution, but with that, the vehicle owners have to compromise on boot storage. Electric vehicles too have come up dramatically in the last few years, but even now, an electric car costs significantly more than its ICE counterpart. Besides that, other factors like confusion about the lifecycle of EVs, lack of charging infrastructure, and range anxiety have been hindering the desired growth of electric cars.

On the other hand, hybrid technology offers a key viable solution, where consumers don’t have to worry about range anxiety or compromise on the boot space of their vehicles while getting the benefit of both ICE and EVs. The consumers have understood this and shifting their focus accordingly. Buoyed by that, carmakers in India are increasingly focusing on bringing hybrid cars into the market, fuelling the cyclic growth in the segment.

First Published Date: 06 Mar 2024, 15:13 PM IST

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Thats Why India is in love with hybrid cars.

WagonR, Baleno and Swift continue to power Maruti Suzuki through February

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Baleno and Swift continue to power Maruti Suzuki through February

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By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 01 Mar 2024, 16:47 PM

  • Maruti Suzuki is currently preparing to launch the new-gen Swift in the Indian market.
Maruti Jimny Grand Vitara NCC car rally
Image used for representational purposes only. (Image courtesy: X/@HQ_DG_NCC)

India’s largest four-wheeler manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, has announced sales figures for February. Maruti Suzuki sold a total of 1,97,471 units, which consists of domestic sales of 163,397 units, sales to other OEMs of 5,147 units and exports of 28,927 units.

The compact segment was the most popular as the brand sold 71,627 units in February 2024. It consists of vehicles like Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift, Tour S and WagonR. Then there were the utility vehicles, which consisted of Brezza, Ertiga, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Invicto, Jimny, S-Cross and XL6. The sales figures stood at 61,234 units. Ciaz and Eeco sold 481 and 12,147 units, respectively.

Affordable compact vehicles such as Alto and S-Presso are still very popular as the brand sold a combined 14,782 units of those. The rest of the sales numbers come from Super Carry, which is a light commercial vehicle and sales to other OEMs.

From April to February, the most popular models for Maruti Suzuki were WagonR, Baleno and Swift. SUVs accounted for 51.5 per cent of overall sales for Maruti Suzuki.

Also Read : Brezza, Grand Vitara, Fronx star in Maruti’s SUV rush in FY 2023-24

The brand is currently preparing to launch a new generation of Swift in the Indian market. The hatchback has already been revealed in Japan and will soon be making its way to Indian shores. The hatchback will not only get some major cosmetic upgrades but it would also get an all-new engine.

The new engine is a three-cylinder unit as compared to the four-cylinder unit that we currently get in the Indian market. Suzuki says that this change has been done in favour of more low-end torque and more fuel efficiency. In the global market, the new engine comes mated to a CVT automatic transmission. It is expected that the Indian market will still get a 5-speed manual gearbox and an AMT transmission.

First Published Date: 01 Mar 2024, 16:47 PM IST

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Brezza, Grand Vitara, Fronx star in Maruti’s SUV rush in FY 2023-24

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Fronx star in Maruti’s SUV

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  • Maruti Suzuki ended February as India’s second largest SUV manufacturer behind segment leader Mahindra and Mahindra.
Maruti SUVs
Maruti Suzuki’s dominance in the SUV market has been buoyed by vehicles such as Fronx, Grand Vitara, Brezza and Jimny. The carmaker is currently close second to Mahindra in the SUV segment in terms of sales.

Maruti Suzuki continues to benefit from its sport utility vehicles (SUVs) as it remains one of the largest manufacturers in the segment for the Financial Year 2023-24. From April last year to February 2024, Maruti has sold more than four lakh SUVs, which include the likes of Brezza, Grand Vitara, Fronx, Jimny and S-Cross. Though the carmaker had briefly become India’s largest SUV manufacturer last year, the crown has been retaken by Mahindra and Mahindra, the maker of Scorpio-N, Thar and XUV700 among others. However, Maruti Suzuki plans to continue with its SUV offensive and aims to increase its sales in the coming days.

36 KM Mileage Car

From small and compact cars to small and compact SUVs – Maruti Suzuki’s shift towards the more popular body-type in passenger vehicle segment has been rapid. In the last two years, the carmaker has driven in as many as four models, including the Grand Vitara, Fronx and Jimny. Maruti Suzuki said that it has sold 4,04,114 units of sport utility vehicles in the ongoing financial year. However, it admitted that it is likely to fail in meeting estimates of selling around 4.50 lakh SUVs within the same fiscal.

In February, Maruti Suzuki delivered 41,256 units of SUVs. Brezza, Fronx and Grand Vitara contributed the bulk of the sales in the segment. Currently, Maruti Suzuki has a little more than 20 per cent market share. The Jimny, one of the most anticipated launches that took place last year, has not been as successful as some of its siblings. However, it managed to increase its sales to 514 last month from the low of 163 units in January this year.

Compared to its rival Mahindra and Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki ended February just short by nearly 1,200 SUVs. Mahindra sold 42,401 units last month, mostly through its popular Scorpio brand which is available in Scorpio-N and Scorpio Classic versions. Jimny’s sales performance could be one of the factors why Maruti Suzuki may not hit the 4.50-lakh unit sales in the segment by March-end. Its performance could also be the reason why Maruti is currently lagging behind Mahindra in terms of market share in the SUV segment.

First Published Date: 01 Mar 2024, 16:36 PM IST

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Maruti Suzuki sales in November rises marginally, small cars biggest contributor

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Maruti Suzuki continues to ride high on its small cars as it remains firmly on top of the list of biggest carmakers in India in November. Maruti Suzuki delivered 1.34 lakh units across India last month, up from 1.32 lakh units it clocked in November last year. Though small cars like Alto, Baleno, Swift and WagonR remain the biggest volume drivers for Maruti, the marginal one per cent growth for the carmaker came from its SUV lineup which includes models like Brezza, Grand Vitara and Fronx as well as MPVs like Ertiga and XL6.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 01 Dec 2023, 15:47 PM

Maruti Suzuki Fronx
Small cars from Maruti Suzuki continues to drive the carmaker’s sales in India. More than 50 per cent of Maruti’s sales come from models like Alto, Baleno, Swift and WagonR. (HT Auto/Sabyasachi Dasgupta)

On Friday, Maruti Suzuki released its sales report for November. According to the report, Maruti’s smallest offerings Alto and S-Presso contributed 9,959 units last month, down from 18,251 units during the same month last year. Its hatchback segment, which also includes models like Celerio, Dzire and Ignis, contributed 64,679 units to overall sales. However, this segment too, saw a drop from 72,844 units sold in November last year. Overall, both these segments saw nearly 20 per cent drop in sales.

Also Read : Creta, Venue help Hyundai clock growth in November sales

The biggest gainers for Maruti Suzuki in November were its SUVs and MPVs. The lineup, which includes models like Brezza, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Jimny, S-Cross, Ertiga, Invicto and XL6, clocked 49,016 units in November this year. During the same month last year, Maruti’s utility vehicles had contributed 32,563 units. However, Maruti Suzuki did not have models like Fronx, Jimny or Invicto in its lineup back then. EECO, the sole van in Maruti’s line-up, contributed 10,226 units last month.

Also Read : Nexon, Harrier, Safari facelift SUVs fail to boost Tata sales in November

Maruti Suzuki has intensified its SUV game in India. India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer had reported about 80 per cent hike in profit in the last three months thanks to the rise in demand for its SUVs. Maruti Suzuki currently leads the SUV segment in India with new-age models introduced in the past one year or so. Models like Grand Vitara and Fronx, which feature as some of India’s top-selling models, have added to Maruti’s tally led by sub-compact SUV Brezza as well as the latest entrant Jimny five-door off-road SUV.

In terms of exports too, Maruti Suzuki has grown last month despatching 22,950 units across its global markets. It is a growth of around 15 per cent compared to 19,738 units exported by the carmaker in November last year.

First Published Date: 01 Dec 2023, 15:47 PM IST

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Maruti Suzuki to hike prices of its cars from January

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If you are planning to buy a Maruti Suzuki car soon, you have just one month to drive home one before it gets costlier. Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced today (November 27) that it will increase the price of its models from New Year. The new prices will be applicable from January 1 next year. However, Maruti Suzuki has not specified if the fresh price hike will be applicable across all models and also the rate of price increase. The latest hike in Maruti Suzuki car prices will be implemented due to rising production costs.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 27 Nov 2023, 14:56 PM

Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki has announced that it will increase the prices of its cars in India from January 1 next year. (REUTERS)

On Monday, a regulatory filing from Maruti Suzuki said that the hike has become necessary due to ‘increased cost pressure driven by overall inflation and increased commodity prices.’ However, the carmaker assured that it is taking steps to minimise its effect on buyers. It said, “While the company makes maximum efforts to reduce cost and offset the increase, it may have to pass on some increase to the market. This price increase shall vary across models.”

Maruti Suzuki has not specified the quantum of the proposed price hike. The carmaker currently sells small to mid-size cars with few in the compact or large segment. Alto, its entry-level model as well as the smallest car in its lineup, comes at a starting price of ₹3.54 lakh (ex-showroom). The Invicto MPV, based on Toyota Innova HyCross, is the largest car Maruti sells. The price of Invicto starts from ₹24.80 lakh (ex-showroom).

Also Read : Audi cars in India all set to get more expensive from new year 2024

Models like Baleno, Swift and WagonR are the three top-selling cars from the Maruti stable. These three cars generally are the highest selling vehicles in India on a monthly basis. Of late, Maruti Suzuki has also stepped up its SUV game, and has become the largest SUV manufacturer with models like Brezza, Fronx, Grand Vitara and Jimny as offerings. Maruti Suzuki has grabbed 22% of the SUV market share, so far in FY24, which is quite close to its target of 25% for the financial year. The Grand Vitara compact SUV, rival to the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, recently became the fastest model in its category to clock one lakh sales since its launch last year.

First Published Date: 27 Nov 2023, 14:56 PM IST

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Rumion CNG MPV has the longest waiting period among all Toyota cars

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Planning to drive home in a new Toyota car? Your wait may extend way beyond 2023 and may go up till Diwali next year on certain models. The carmaker has revealed the tentative waiting periods for all its models. Some of the cars, including the likes of newly-launched Rumion and Innova HyCross MPVs, have their waiting period stretching more than 12 months on certain variants. Here is a quick look at the Toyota cars for which your wait could get stretched to about a year or more.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 06 Nov 2023, 13:19 PM

Toyota Rumion Innova HyCross
Toyota Rumion and Innova HyCross are two models among its cars which currently comes with a waiting period of more than a year depending on variants.

Toyota Rumion CNG

The CNG version of Toyota’s latest MPV has more demand than its standard version. The Maruti Ertiga-rival, launched in August this year at a starting price of ₹10.29 lakh (ex-showroom), is sold in petrol and CNG variants. The waiting period on the Rumion CNG could go up to 18 months, or one and a half years, depending on where the buyer has booked it. Due to high demand, Toyota had to temporarily halt bookings for the Rumion E-CNG variant in September. Rumion draws power from the 1.5-litre K-Series petrol engine paired with manual and automatic transmission options.

The CNG version of Toyota’s compact SUV Urban Cruiser HyRyder has the second longest waiting period among models the Japanese carmaker offers in India. According to the carmaker, one may have to wait up to 16 months to drive home the E-CNG HyRyder SUV. In January this year, Toyota introduced the CNG avatar of the HyRyder SUV at a staring price of ₹13.23 lakh (ex-showroom). The SUV, rival to Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Hyundai Creta among others, is powered by a 1.5-litre K-Series engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The CNG variant claims to offer 26.6 km/kg fuel efficiency.

Toyota Innova HyCross hybrid

The strong hybrid version of the Innova HyCross has its waiting period stretching up to 15 months. The MPV, Toyota’s best-selling model in India, is offered in both petrol as well as strong hybrid versions. Toyota had launched the Innova HyCross in India in December last year with the strong hybrid variants priced from ₹24.01 lakh (ex-showroom). It rivals with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Invicto, which is essentially based on the HyCross model. The self-charging hybrid powertrain is mated to a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 181 bhp and promises fuel economy of 23.24 kmpl.

Watch: Toyota Innova HyCross First Drive Impressions

Toyota Vellfire

Vellfire, the most expensive model from the Japanese auto giant in India, also has a long waiting period. According to Toyota, one may have to wait for around 15 months to get a new Vellfire delivered, depending on the location of purchase.

First Published Date: 06 Nov 2023, 13:19 PM IST

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Indian Navy officers embark on 6,500-km long trip in Maruti SUVs

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Maruti Suzuki India has partnered with the Indian Navy to create awareness about career opportunities amongst the Northeastern youth through ab outreach program, called the ‘Khamree Mo Sikkim’. As a part of this association, 45 Navy officials will be driving five Maruti Suzuki vehicles for the next few weeks, covering some key regions in the country such as Mhow, Jhansi, Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 24 Sep 2023, 12:26 PM

Maruti Jimny off-roader SUV

The five vehicles will include three Maruti Jimny off-roader and two Grand Vitara ALL GRIP SUVs. The 6,500-km long expedition was flagged off from the Indian Navy base at Lonavala on 24 September, Sunday. Other key regions being covered include Bagdogra, Gangtok, Lachen, Gurudongma, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Vishakhapatnam, and Hyderabad.

Watch: Maruti Suzuki Jimny SUV: First Drive Review

The expedition will take place across three stretches with the first stretch going from INS Shivaji to Bagdogra, the second stretch comprehensively covering Sikkim, and the third stretch extending from Gangtok, Sikkim, to INS Shivaji, with a particular focus on empowering the youth in rural areas along the eastern coastal region. “Our association with the Indian Navy underscores our unwavering dedication to fostering progress in the Northeastern region and nurturing the potential of our nation’s youth,” said Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited.

As the convoy will traverse across diverse states, participants will engage with local communities and provide them with guidance on defense entrance exams at esteemed educational institutions. Along the route, participants will also visit historically significant monuments. “This initiative is a collaborative effort to contribute to the progress and well-being of Northeast India. Our primary goal is to enlighten and inspire the youth about the abundant prospects within the Navy,” said Srivastava.

First Published Date: 24 Sep 2023, 12:26 PM IST

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Toyota banks on sale of rebadged Maruti models to hit best year ever in India

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Toyota Motor expects its sales in India to will continue to soar with rebadged Maruti Suzuki models. The Japanese auto giant, which is in a partnership with the Indo-Japanese carmaker, hopes 2023 to be the best year for Toyota in India since its debut here. Toyota currently sells at least two rebadged Maruti Suzuki models in the country. It has rebadged Maruti Baleno hatchback as Glanza and Ertiga MPV as Rumion. Around 40 per cent of Toyota’s sales in the first eight months this year has come from rebadged Maruti cars.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 16 Sep 2023, 15:37 PM

Toyota Glanza Maruti Baleno
Toyota Glanza (top), the rebadged Maruti Suzuki version of the Baleno hatchback (bottom) is one of the highest selling cars from the Japanese auto giant in India.

Speaking to news agency Reuters, Atul Sood, Vice President of Sales at Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said that Maruti’s portfolio of affordable cars continue to attract buyers, helping to boost its sales. In 2022, Toyota sold more than 1.60 lakh cars in India. In comparison, the Japanese auto giant has already sold nearly 1.50 lakh vehicles till August and is on track to break its all-time annual sales record in the country this year. “We are confident of closing this calendar year with our best ever performance and setting a new benchmark. The HyRyder has given us a new set of customers who are majorly upgrading. The majority of the demand is coming from a younger profile,” Sood said.

Toyota also plans to expand its footprint across India. Sood said the Japanese carmaker will now focus on the smaller cities in various parts to reach out to more customers. Currently, Toyota has over 600 dealerships located all over the country.

Among the cars it currently sells, Toyota Glanza and Urban Cruiser HyRyder SUV are among the best-selling models from the carmaker in India. While Glanza is a rebadged Maruti car, the SUV was jointly developed with Maruti Suzuki, which the latter sells as Grand Vitara. Toyota Glanza comes at a starting price of ₹6.81 lakh and goes up to ₹10 lakh (ex-showroom). The Urban Cruiser HyRyder SUV price starts from ₹10.73 lakh and goes up to ₹19.74 lakh (ex-showroom).

Toyota recently launched the Rumion MPV, which is also a rebadged Maruti model called Ertiga. The three-row MPV was launched at ₹10.29 lakh (ex-showroom). The price of the Toyota MPV goes up to ₹13.68 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end variant. It is also offered with CNG technology.

Watch: Toyota Innova HyCross: First Drive Impressions

Besides these three, Toyota also sells Innova HyCross and Innova Crysta MPVs in India. The Innova HyCross, offered with strong hybrid tech like the HyRyder SUV, comes at a starting price of ₹19.67 lakh and goes up to ₹30.26 lakh (ex-showroom). Maruti Suzuki has launched the rebadged version of the HyCross as Invicto earlier this year. The Innova Crysta and HyCross remain Toyota’s best-selling models. The Fortuner SUV is the only other SUV other than HyRyder in Toyota’s fleet. The large SUV is priced between ₹33 lakh and ₹50.74 lakh (ex-showroom). The Hilux pickup truck, launched at ₹30.40 lakh, makes up Toyota’s lineup in India.

First Published Date: 16 Sep 2023, 15:37 PM IST

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In pics: Toyota Innova HyCross flex-fuel MPV runs fully on ethanol

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The flex-fuel Toyota Innova HyCross MPV is compatible with BS 6 Stage II norms.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 29 Aug 2023, 17:47 PM

1/7

Toyota Motor has introduced the world’s first car that can run fully on alternative fuel – ethanol and is equipped with a flex-fuel engine. The model is based on the Innova HyCross MPV and was officially launched at an event presided over by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

2/7

The electrified Innova HyCross flex-fuel is prototype in nature and is compatible with the latest emission norms of Bharat Stage 6 II. The electrified flex-fuel Innova HyCross will also be able to generate electric power on its own and able to run on EV mode as well as it gets a lithium-ion battery pack.

3/7

Toyota Innova HyCross flex-fuel MPV will run entirely on ethanol, a fuel derived from plants. The ethanol is graded E100, signifying that the car run fully on the alternative fuel. However, it is not yet known if and when the production version of the electrified flex-fuel model will hit the Indian roads.

4/7

For the flex-fuel version of the Innova HyCross, the company had to tune the engine so that it could run on E100 grade ethanol. The fuel tank and fuel pipe have also been modified. The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine unit, also used in the standard Innova HyCross, is compatible with E85 fuel. The spark plugs and piston rings of the MPV have been changed too.

5/7

Toyota has also added a cold-start system to the vehicle which allows it to power up in cold conditions as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius. The standard Innova HyCross hybrid MPV can generate 181 bhp of power and offer fuel economy of 23.24 kmpl. Toyota says the flex-fuel model can offer 30 to 50 per cent more efficiency.

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India’s push for biofuel or alternative cleaner fuel gained momentum last year when the Centre rolled out petrol mixed with ethanol. India aims to achieve 20 per cent ethanol mixed in petrol by 2025.

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Gadkari has been advocating use of alternative fuel every now and then to reduce costly import of crude oil, which is processed to produce conventional fuels like petrol and diesel. The introduction of alternative fuel also aims to reduce pollution as well as India’s carbon footprint.

First Published Date: 29 Aug 2023, 17:47 PM IST

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We will be volunteering to get our cars crash tested: Maruti on Bharat NCAP

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By: Paarth Khatri
| Updated on: 23 Aug 2023, 17:21 PM

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari launched India’s own crash test norms on Tuesday. It is called Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) and it will be enforced across the country from October 2023. Now, Maruti Suzuki has announced that they will send out their vehicles to be tested under the Bharat NCAP crash test.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso in Global NCAP crash test

This information was confirmed by CV Raman, CTO, Maruti Suzuki India. Moreover, Mr Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer of Maruti Suzuki also said that they will offer at least three models for Bharat NCAP crash testing in the first batch. As of now, the name of the models has not been confirmed. However, it can be the manufacturer’s recent launches such as Grand Vitara and new-gen Baleno.

The past record of Maruti Suzuki is not very strong when it comes to crash test ratings. The S-Presso, Alto and Eeco have scored zero stars in the adult safety rating and two stars in the child safety rating. The WagonR and Swift scored two stars in adult as well as child safety rating whereas the Ertiga scored three stars. The safest car that the Maruti Suzuki currently makes is the Brezza with four and two stars for adult and child safety ratings respectively.

According to CV Raman, CTO, Maruti Suzuki India, “It is a welcome step and we are proud as we had been working along with the government and test agencies in the discussions around formulation of the standards. We will be volunteering to get our cars tested under the BNCAP standards, which are same as the revised GNCAP protocols.

“Any car that is launched in India follows the mandatory safety standards set by the government. For consumers seeking extra safety information the Bharat NCAP system is an authentic and objective rating system to empower the customer to make an informed choice. Maruti Suzuki welcomes this initiative of the Government and will offer atleast 3 models for BNCAP testing in the first lot itself. At the same time, we would request all users to fasten seatbelts whether in the front or rear seats as that is the most critical factor in keeping passengers safe.” said Mr Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki

First Published Date: 23 Aug 2023, 17:21 PM IST

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