Maruti Suzuki min SUV launch in India by 2012

     India's largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki has hinted about the launch of a mini SUV in Indian market. The company is finding hard to maintain its 50% share in Indian market, thanks to the launch of small cars from Chevrolet, Ford and Nissan. Inspite of though going in the last 2-3 months of 2010, it managed to register double digit growth which is phenonmenal.

     Suzuki, the parent company of Maruti Suzuki has currently one mini SUV in its portfolio - "Jimny". It is more likely that Jimny will be launched as a mini SUV in India. Jimny, sold in Japan is powered by a petrol engine will find a diesel heart in India as petrol SUVs are not percieved well in India. The diesel engine could be the same 1.3 DDiS currenty powering Swift, Ritz and Dizre cars or it could be outsoured from Volkswagen.

     A little modifications in the body can be expected to make it a four doored vehicle. Again, since Jimny is a two doored vehicle, it will not be well percieved by the Indians.