Japan’s Suzuki Motor Company plans to enter the electrical small automobile section in future after gathering expertise from its first EV, SUV e VITARA, which is able to make the worldwide debut in India, its manufacturing hub for electrical autos, firm’s Consultant Director and President Toshihiro Suzuki stated on Thursday.
The Japanese carmaker additionally believes that regardless of declining gross sales, small automobiles won’t stop to exist in India, the place its subsidiary Maruti Suzuki India is the market chief, as “one billion individuals” who’re prone to improve from two-wheelers to four-wheelers in future would nonetheless want reasonably priced automobiles, Suzuki informed reporters right here in an interplay.
Maruti Suzuki India will unveil the e VITARA on Friday on the Bharat Mobility International Expo 2025 being held at Bharat Mandapam right here. For Suzuki Motor, India will probably be manufacturing hub for world electrical car fashions.
“Though we’re launching our first EV, e VITARA, my private feeling is that the compact autos would be the finest for EVs… (however) I believe first one has study and grasp correctly the manufacturing strategies of EVs…
So, after greedy it totally we want to shift to EVs for small automobiles as nicely, just like the others. We do have plans of getting EVs within the small automobile section,” Suzuki stated.
He was responding to a question on the EV highway map for Suzuki Motor Company (SMC), which is understood globally for its small automobiles.
Requested for a timeline for entry into small electrical automobiles, Suzuki didn’t elaborate however stated after launching the e VITARA the corporate want to get suggestions from prospects on the car and Maruti Suzuki can even attempt to perceive prospects’ response, then solely it will go forward with plans for small electrical automobiles.
Suzuki additionally stated SMC’s two-wheeler arm Suzuki Bike India can even unveil electrical scooter e Entry on the Bharat Mobility International Expo moreover the e VITARA.
“These BEVs (battery electrical autos) characterize world fashions and India would be the manufacturing hub for these autos,” he stated, including India’s significance as an export hub for four-wheelers and two-wheelers for SMC is “more and more changing into extra necessary than ever earlier than”.
“We want to export not solely EVs however the different fashions additionally. We want to develop India as an export hub for all of the fashions,” Suzuki stated.
He said that the automaker would additional strengthen its SUV portfolio within the nation because it seems to regain 50 per cent market share within the over 40 lakh sturdy annual Indian home passenger car section.
“We’re aiming to get 50 per cent market share and we want to focus our efforts on this route,” Suzuki said.
The automaker is dedicated to actively introducing new fashions to cater to the expectations of consumers throughout India, with explicit emphasis on the SUV section, he said.
“So as to improve market share you will need to seize high share within the SUV section … So the primary precedence is that to get the highest market share within the SUV section by introducing new fashions,” Suzuki famous.
The corporate would additionally take a look at introducing fashions with hybrid, CNG and hydrogen applied sciences as nicely to be able to acquire market share.
On the rationale for making India the export hub, he stated, “For Suzuki, the size advantage in India is our power, and we’ll totally leverage this benefit to produce top quality and interesting merchandise throughout varied areas, resembling Europe, Japan, the Center East and Africa, Central and South America and Asian international locations.
The e VITARA will probably be exported to Europe after which Japan adopted by the opposite markets on the earth.
Suzuki stated Maruti Suzuki India resumed exports to Japan final yr with Fronx and there’s a pending order of 15,000 models and presently the mannequin is exported to over 70 international locations from India.
In 2024, the corporate achieved exports of three.26 lakh models, which was the best ever no matter calendar or fiscal yr.
Requested concerning the outlook for small automobiles, which has seen a decline in gross sales in India with SUVs rising sooner, Suzuki stated, “Once we take a look at the market the gross sales of Maruti Suzuki’s small automobiles are similar to the SUVs that are being presently bought by different producers.
So it is nonetheless promoting.” He additional stated, “I do not assume small automobiles would stop to exist (in India). There are 1 billion people who find themselves prone to improve from two-wheelers to four-wheelers in future and they might want an reasonably priced, good automobile within the small section.”
On a question concerning the way forward for Suzuki’s partnership with Toyota, Suzuki stated: “I believe Toyota is an effective accomplice and competitor. Subsequently as an unbiased firm, we want to go forward in a wholesome competitors.”
