Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) is driving afresh into the sedan car segment in India after Esteem and Baleno. And to start with, the Japanese auto giant is rolling out a new sedan SX4 in the Indian market by April-end or May.
To be showcased at the Geneva Auto show — starting March 8 — the all new sedan will be manufactured at SMC's Indian subsidiary Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) and will be sold in India under the Maruti Suzuki brand. This is also SMC's first sedan in China where it is being manufactured locally and will be sold under the Suzuki brand.
The sedan will be positioned in the A3 segment, which constitutes 15% of the passenger car market in India and a growing chunk of the same in China.
According to market sources, the new sedan will be petrol driven and will be priced between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 8 lakh, which means it will compete with mainly Lancer of Hindustan Motors, Verna of Hyundai Motors India and City of Honda Siel Cars.
MUL is expected to initially produce 2000-3000 units at its fourth plant in Manesar and gradually scale up production once the demand picks up. Till November 2006, MUL had two sedans — Esteem and Baleno — under its brand. But with the automaker announcing the phasing-out of Baleno from the market last year, it was left with just Maruti Esteem.
For SMC, its SX4 sedan will be the second car for the global market after Swift.
To be showcased at the Geneva Auto show — starting March 8 — the all new sedan will be manufactured at SMC's Indian subsidiary Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) and will be sold in India under the Maruti Suzuki brand. This is also SMC's first sedan in China where it is being manufactured locally and will be sold under the Suzuki brand.
The sedan will be positioned in the A3 segment, which constitutes 15% of the passenger car market in India and a growing chunk of the same in China.
According to market sources, the new sedan will be petrol driven and will be priced between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 8 lakh, which means it will compete with mainly Lancer of Hindustan Motors, Verna of Hyundai Motors India and City of Honda Siel Cars.
MUL is expected to initially produce 2000-3000 units at its fourth plant in Manesar and gradually scale up production once the demand picks up. Till November 2006, MUL had two sedans — Esteem and Baleno — under its brand. But with the automaker announcing the phasing-out of Baleno from the market last year, it was left with just Maruti Esteem.
For SMC, its SX4 sedan will be the second car for the global market after Swift.
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