- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr Ar He
Maruti Suzuki. Pride of India
Maruti Suzuki India Limited is the real national pride of India, the largest automaker, ahead of Tata and Mahindra. And not only in India, but in general throughout South Asia. For more than 20 years, the Japanese Suzuki Motor Corporation has been the majority shareholder of the company, which is why the joint venture’s model range consists of Japanese vehicles adapted for India.
Origins
Founded in 1981 in New Delhi, the company was first state-owned: the Japanese partner owned only 26% of the company’s shares. The construction of the first automobile plant in Gurugram began. By 2002, Suzuki brought its share to 74.7%. For the past two decades, the Japanese “offshoot” has been the main Indian automobile brand. This benefited the company: in September 2022, Maruti Suzuki’s share of the Indian passenger car market was 42%.
Initially, Maruti Suzuki was in charge of importing Suzuki vehicles assembled in India. Unfortunately for the local manufacturers, only 33% of the parts were made on the local market. At first, few believed in the young brand: the Indian market was considered not capacious enough to consume large volumes. The company started its own production in December 1983 with the Maruti 800, based on the Suzuki Alto, a small 3 or 5-door hatchback. A year later, the manufacturer introduced the Maruti Van with a 3-cylinder engine borrowed from Alto. In 1985, the company launched the production of the Gypsy SUV, which was based on the famous 1982 subcompact Suzuki Jimny with a 1.0-liter engine.
Maruti Suzuki India Limited is India’s first company with mass production and sales of over one million vehicles
In 1986, the company produced the 100,000th car. In 1987, it began exporting its products to Western markets: a batch of 500 cars went to Hungary. In 1991, 65% of automotive components were already domestic, and Suzuki increased its share in Maruti to 50%, sharing the enterprise with the government of India. In 1994, Maruti Suzuki produced its one millionth car and opened a second plant with a capacity of 200,000 units per year.
Maruti developed not only production but also service, opening a 24-hour emergency roadside assistance service, and it also became the first automotive company in India to launch a customer service call center in 2010. In 2002, Suzuki increased its share in Maruti to 54.2%. On September 17, 2007, the company was officially named Maruti Suzuki India Limited. The head office has since been located in Gurgaon, near Delhi. In 2010, the company produced 1.214 million vehicles, which was its personal record.
Our days
Today, Maruti Suzuki produces local versions of Suzuki models, preferring cars with the length not exceeding 4 meters, as this category is entitled to benefits in India. The manufacturing recipe is simple: a Japanese kei car, no more than 3.4 m long (preferential body dimensions for Japan), gets a longer wheelbase, a primitive suspension, small motors, a manual transmission or a simple robotic gearbox. The automaker has an extensive network of dealerships throughout the country, authorized service stations and even driving schools. The people trust the brand more and more: in 2013, the company took 37th place among the most reliable brands in India, and already 9th in 2019.
Model range
In 2023, Maruti Suzuki offers 8 models: the 5-door R Wagon, Alto hatchback, Dzire sedan, trendy Swift hatchback, Ignis and Baleno city crossover hatchbacks, Ciaz sedan and XL6 compact van.
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R
The 3.6 m subcompact model is equipped with 1.0-liter (68 hp) or 1.2-liter (83 hp) engines, paired with a ‘self-developed semi-automatic’ Auto gear shift gearbox (single-clutch robotic gearbox). The car has a simple design: semi-independent rear suspension, drum rear brakes. However, there is ABS with brake force distribution and two airbags.
Maruti Suzuki Alto
From 2005 to 2017, it was the company’s best-selling car. After the 2019 restyling, it is offered with a 0.8-liter 3-cylinder engine with 48 hp and 5-speed manual gearbox. The basic equipment of the car includes a driver’s airbag, ABS and a rear parking sensor. The top version also has a second airbag.
Maruti Suzuki Dzire
A compact sedan, only 3.9 m long, looks funny because of its compact size. At the same time, the car is quite modern, featuring a media system with a 7-inch screen and cruise control. The car is driven by a 1.2-liter 4-cylinder engine (90 hp), complemented by the Start-Stop system. There are 5-speed manual or robotic gearboxes.
Maruti Suzuki Swift
The 3.8-meter 5-door hatchback even has a small trunk of 268 liters. Equipment includes: climate control, LED headlights, cruise control, ABS, ESP, rear parking sensor and camera. The 1.2-liter engine is complemented by two gearboxes to choose from. There is even a two-tone body color. All together makes the car attractive to Indian buyers.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis
The 3.7-meter 5-door crossover hatchback belongs to the subcompact class. But the clearance is a decent 18 cm. The car comes with a 1.2-liter engine and two gearboxes to choose from.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno
The hatchback has been produced since 2015 and has already experienced two restylings (2019 and 2022). The 3.9 meter car looks nice. It comes with one 1.2-liter engine with 90 hp and 113 Nm, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox or robotic gearbox. The equipment is quite decent: a media system with a 7 or 9-inch screen, climate control, 2 airbags, a keyless entry system. The top version has a head-up display, all-round cameras, an Arkamys audio system and 6 airbags.
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
A compact sedan with a length of 4.5 m and a wheelbase of 2.65 m. The car comes with a hybrid system based on a 1.5-liter engine and a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. The model is front-wheel drive. The car has 7 basic colors and 3 two-tone body colors.
Maruti Suzuki XL6
The compact van, created on the basis of the Japanese Suzuki Ertiga, is 50 mm longer than the original (4,445 mm). A body kit made of black plastic and a ground clearance of 180 mm expand its road capabilities. The 1.5-liter gasoline engine (105 hp) is supplemented with a starter-generator, a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. The equipment includes: LED optics, media system with a 7-inch screen, climate control, rear parking sensor, ABS, engine start button and cruise control. But there are only two airbags.
