India's largest passenger car brand Maruti Suzuki had maintained a studious silence over its electric vehicle plans to counter those of its rivals Tata Motors and Hyundai Motors India. Now, we hear that the company could be debuting in the EV passenger car space with a mass market mini-SUV in 2024.
To be built indigenously, this mini-SUV could benefit from Suzuki's collaboration with Toyota Motors in India, says a report published in RushLane. The report says Maruti had been road-testing electric variants of the Japanese Wagon-R models in India, the decision to shift from a hatch-back to mini-SUV was a strategic one.
The report quoted unnamed sources to suggest at Maruti, which began as a joint venture between India's federal government and Suzuki back in the 1990s, is going ahead with the mini-SUV project codenamed YY8. Though there are no specifics in terms of design, the body contours will resemble a compact SUV.
Why Maruti is considering a mini-SUV?
Actually, one doesn't need to look afar to guess why Maruti shifted from hatchback to mini-SUV as their first EV. Currently, the fastest selling electric passenger car is the Tata Nexon EV, which is built on the Tata Motors mini-SUV platform. The Tatas seem to be readying another mini-SUV edition of its popular Tata Punch.
And, if you thought this isn't enough reason for Maruti to go with the mini-SUV as its maiden EV, here's another. We are hearing reports that the Tata Nexon EV, which is already the most sold electric car in India, could now get a 2022 edition that may give better driving range between two charges. We also know that they are bringing back the Sierra, one of its earliest SUVs in the Indian market.
Now, take a look at what Hyundai Motor India is upto in India. The Korean car giant is considering six battery operated vehicles across diverse segments and body styles - right from compact utility vehicles (mini-SUV) to sedans and full size SUVs. They're in the process of modifying existing ICE vehicle platforms to suit EV upgrades.
Besides these two competitors, Maruti, which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corp of Japan in 2003, also faces threat from the likes of Kia Motors as well as the top-of-the-line passenger car makers such as Mercedes Benz and BMW, who also have plans to launch EVs in India.
Maruti YY8 EV - specifications and more
The technical specifications of the YY8 are under wraps though Suzuki would benefit from its Toyota partnership. The mini-SUV could be sold with the Toyota branding in India as well as in select overseas markets. The vehicle would be manufactured at the company's plant in Gujarat and could launch in 2024.
The report claimed that the company has set a production target of 1.5 lakh units in the first year of operations. This could mean that both Toyota and Maruti may set an aggressive sales target early on, thus providing better options for the consumer in the country.
It is not clear whether the upcoming mini-SUV would carry the Suzuki's lightweight Heartect or go for Toyota's DNGA design. Or we could see a mixture of both coming to the fore with the Maruti YY8, given that both platforms are equally versatile as well as EV compatible.
The Heartect has already been localized in India with a robust supply chain already in place. However, the Toyota's DNGA could prove to be a better bet due to the fact that it provides better economies of scale, if the company considers exporting the upcoming EV to other geographies.
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