Asia Bizz: Indian auto giant Maruti Suzuki is now gearing up to enter the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment with the launch of its Ertiga. The company is all set to launch the new Ertiga in the Indian market in April 2012.
Maruti Suzuki has seen an investment of about Rs 400 crore as development cost till date. Mayank Pareek, the MSI managing executive officer of marketing and sales, said that they are trying to create a new segment of compact MPVs, just like they did with the Swift in the hatchback segment.
Pareek added that they have not been present in the MPV segment despite being the overall market leader in the country. With the launch of the Ertiga, the company will then have the complete range of passenger vehicles.
While talking about the significance of the new MPV, Pareek said that the MUV and SUV segment in India is about 30,000 units a month and that they will now have a presence in the segment. But the managing executive declined to comment on the expected sales from the new model.
The company will be launching the diesel as well as the petrol variants of the MPV. The petrol variant will be powered by a 1.4 litre engine while the diesel variant will be powered by a 1.3 litre engine.
