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Maruti Suzuki announced that it has sold 1,00,000 units of its Fronx SUV in just 10 months since its launch, making it the fastest model across all manufacturers in India to hit the milestone. While sales are obviously robust, Maruti is already looking at a rejig of the variant line-up.
- Fronx available with 1.2 petrol, CNG and 1.0 turbo-petrol options
- Turbo-petrol only accounts for 7 percent of Fronx sales
- Initial sales projections were to have 25-30 percent from Fronx turbo
The Fronx is available with three powertrain options: a 1.2-litre petrol, a bi-fuel CNG and a 1.0-litre direct-injection turbo petrol (GDI). Currently, the turbo Fronx accounts for only 7 percent of overall sales, while CNG nets 16 percent and the remaining majority comes from the regular 1.2-litre petrol engine.
Having invested in localising the GDI engine – the unit was earlier imported and briefly offered with the previous Baleno – Maruti is keen to see it sell in higher numbers. Speaking to Autocar India at the announcement, Shashank Srivastava, the company’s senior executive officer, Marketing & Sales, said, “For sure, we would like to see higher turbo sales, initial projections were about 25 to 30 percent, but some customers are perhaps sensitive to the price as the turbo comes with many features.”
Of the five variants, the turbo is offered with the top three, and Maruti could potentially offer lower-spec versions. Srivastava agreed, “Currently some customers who attach value to the turbo engine do not attach value to some features like the HUD, or a 360-deg camera, for example. So yes, we are relooking at our variant strategy.”
Maruti could also use the GDI engine in other models from its portfolio. But Srivastava was non-committal on this, saying that it’s difficult to give a timeline for the same. However, he added, “We are analysing the market.”
Also see:
Maruti Suzuki Fronx review: Return of the Boosterjet
Suzuki Boosterjet engine to power more Maruti cars and SUVs
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Hemant Binnar - 339 days ago
Maruti seems to be missing the mark. Firstly, offer the excellent engine in the upcoming Swift to align its characteristics with the car's. Despite offering more Fronx variants, the turbo petrol share may not meet targets due to an unjustifiable premium over the naturally aspirated engine. There should be a max 30k premium to achieve said targets. Introduce the same turbo petrol in the Brezza and Jimny to benefit from lower slab tax advantages. Implementing these three steps could propel Maruti's market share beyond 50%. Side note: Install decent steering in entry-level models like Alto, S-Presso, Wagon R, Ignis, and Celerio. Despite having good engines, the poor steering quality diminishes the driving experience. A car should make one feel affluent, not constantly remind them of an inferior model. Consider increasing the prices of these models by 5k and incorporating a steering system akin to Swift, Baleno, etc., for a significantly improved driving experience and potentially increased sales.