Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is developing a compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) that would be based on its popular Baleno hatchback, sources said. The new model is likely to be designed as a coupe or a mini crossover. It is among a series of SUVs planned by the Suzuki Motor Corp. unit to bolster efforts to regain market share lost to new and established rivals such as Hyundai Motor India Ltd and Kia Motors in India’s fast-growing SUV market. By tapping the existing Baleno platform,Maruti would be able to save on costs and time spent normally on developing a vehicle from scratch.
Internally, it’s been referred to as the ‘sister car’ of Baleno and companies often take this route to expand their product portfolio quickly. Maruti has already adopted this strategy successfully with XL6 and Ertiga. They definitely need a good number of SUVs in the portfolio to keep increasing their market share in the SUV segment, said the source.The new model would become the second compact SUV offering for Maruti after Vitara Brezza, which was launched in 2016. Though the car market leader has maintained its dominance in the hatchback and sedan segments there has been a steady increase in customer preference towards SUVs, necessitating the need for Maruti to grow its own portfolio.
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