Japanese carmaker Suzuki Motor Corporation is reportedly planning to release 14 new car models in India in next five years.
Suzuki Motors which presented its roadmap for the coming years at the recently held Tokyo Motor Show revealed that the company will launch new cars in India by 2017 including SUVs, which the company labeled as the "new genre of cars."
In Japan, Suzuki will launch 16 models during this period and in Europe and China the company will unveil seven cars each, reported The Hindu Business Line.
While Maruti might be facing tough competition from other brands such as Ford, Nissan, Honda and Volkswagon, the demand by middle class families for the brand's smaller cars has still managed to keep Maruti's market share afloat.
However, the Japanese brand also acknowledges the fact that a slight drop in its market share is inevitable. "The slowdown has hurt all Indian auto manufacturers. Some fall in market share is natural for Maruti Suzuki in a slowing market," Osamu Suzuki, Suzuki Motors' chairman told the Economic Times.
Suzuki's Indian subsidiary Maruti Suzuki holds the privilege of being the country's most trusted auto maker and offers a wide range of cars from the entry level Alto, to the hatchback Ritz, A-Star, Swift, Wagon R, Zen, and sedans DZire, Kizashi and SX4. In additions to this, Maruti also sells Multi Purpose vehicle Suzuki Ertiga and Sports Utility vehicle Grand Vitara.
The company is expected to release a new sedan codenamed YL1 in India by 2014.The sedan which would replace the existing model SX4 will share its platform with the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga MPV and may carry some features of the SX4.
The upcoming YL1 is likely to pack the same 1.3 liter Multijet diesel or 1.4 liter K Series petrol engine of Ertiga. Other speculated features of the car include 16-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, push button start, puddle lamps and leather seats. The YL1 is also expected to host a number of safety features, like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).
