EXCLUSIVE: Maruti Suzuki Aiming To Be Compact SUV Segment Leader

At the unveiling of the new Victoris compact SUV, Maruti Suzuki’s Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Partho Banerjee, told Acko Drive that the brand is quite confident that it will now become a leader in the compact SUV space. 

When asked with the combination of Grand Vitara and Victoris, does Maruti Suzuki have segment leader aspirations, Banerjee said, “Absolutely”. He further elaborated that, “We (Marti Suzuki) are the segment market leader in all segments. In the entry SUV, we are the market leader. In the mid SUV also our aspiration is, too.” 

This means that Maruti Suzuki is gearing up its arsenal to fight with the current segment leader, the Hyundai Creta, and wants to have the biggest piece of the pie in that compact SUV space. Maruti Suzuki may not just do so with a two-car approach, a strategy it is not averse to, but also with offering multiple hybrid models in the segment. This will allow Maruti Suzuki to offer a wider variety of strong hybrid models, and with the expected GST cuts on hybrids, it could become a very enticing proposition for compact SUV buyers. 

The expected GST cuts will allow the ex-showroom price for the Victoris and Grand Vitara hybrids to become more affordable, making it an attractive option for those looking to buy a frugal compact SUV. 

Maruti Suzuki has not yet announced the prices for the Victoris, but it is expected to be competitive if it wants to have a good share of the market. We expect Maruti Suzuki to price the Victoris between ₹13 - 20 lakh (ex-showroom, India). 

I think we have got not only Grand Vitara in the market. There are more than 18 mid SUVs in the market. So we are very clear, who is our customer, to whom we are positioning it, so pricing also we’ll have to wait actually. 

We are the segment market leader in all segments. In the entry SUV, we are the market leader. In the mid SUV also our aspiration is too.