The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is currently analyzing customer feedback to ascertain whether the Jimny brand can be introduced to strengthen the SUV portfolio in India. A senior official of the company has given this information to the media.
Maruti Suzuki currently manufactures the three-door Jimny at its Gurugram plant and exports it to the Middle East and African markets. But the company will introduce the five-door version of the Jimny in the Indian market. This SUV is present in the global market for almost 50 years and is also very popular due to its exceptional off-roading performance.
Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director (Sales and Marketing), Maruti Suzuki India told the media in an interaction that, the SUV segment is very popular in the Indian market and that is the reason we showcased it at the Auto Expo 2020. We have gathered some very good feedback from customers and we are studying this feedback. We hope that we will be able to introduce it in the market soon.
Shashank Srivastava says, “Maruti Suzuki India wants to strengthen its position in the mid-SUV segment, where the company has a low market share as compared to its rivals. Our market share in the SUV segment is around 13-14 percent. If we Going into the details, in the entry-level SUV segment, Vitara Brezza is the best selling vehicle despite the launch of new models.”
He added that “But, if we look at the mid-SUV segment, which currently accounts for around 18 per cent of the entire passenger vehicle segment, we have a very low market share. We have the S-Cross in that space which is not selling enough. So clearly we have a chance to do better in this segment.”
At present, the company is looking at every aspect of introducing the Maruti Jimny in the Indian market and it is believed that it can be introduced in the market by the middle of next year. However, for now, we have to wait for the official announcement from the company. After coming in the market, this SUV will mainly compete with Mahindra Thar.
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