Can’t ignore SUVs, but small cars our base: Maruti’s CEO Hisashi Takeuchi, after ‘Victoris’ launch

Can’t ignore SUVs, but small cars our base: Maruti’s CEO Hisashi Takeuchi, after ‘Victoris’ launch

The company has been transferring more export production from Japan to India

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) has launched its new mid-size SUV ‘Victoris’, marking its second entry in the fast-growing category. (SUVs that are 4-4.5 metres in length are considered mid-size).

Commenting on the occasion, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki, said that the company sought to strengthen its market share, expand exports, and balance its long-standing focus on small cars. However, the surging demand for SUVs could not be ignored.

The company is transferring more export production from Japan to India as the role of the latter continues to increase in its global strategy.

Victoris will be shipped to 100 markets worldwide, underlining India’s importance as a manufacturing hub.

Takeuchi remarked, “Export is always under consideration. Suzuki Japan is shifting more and more of its export market from Japan to India. From India, we can export a robust, good and durable product at a very competitive price.”

Once supplementary for Maruti Suzuki, exports are growing faster than domestic volumes. The company shipped over 330,000 units in FY 2025, and overseas shipments are projected to more than double to 750,000 units by FY 2031.

The MD emphasised that success in SUVs was crucial to regaining the company’s overall market share in passenger vehicles (PVs). Currently. While earlier it was 50 percent, now it is 40 percent.

The official remarked, “With SUVs now accounting for 55 percent of the overall market, the segment could not be ignored.”

Maruti Suzuki SUVs contribute 28 percent to overall sales, up nearly threefold from 8.9 percent in FY 2021.

The company is already a leader in the sub-4-metre SUV category, with models such as Brezza and Fronx, and is consolidating its position in the mid-size segment with Grand Vitara and Victoris. It is also considering the possibility of entering the premium SUV segment (above 4.5 metres in length).

However, Takeuchi stressed the continuing importance of small cars, which remain the base of the company’s business.

He said, “We believe small cars in India will continue, and we will introduce them in the market, which is the base of our business. But 55 percent of sales are now SUVs, and we can’t ignore this market.

“The Indian automobile industry is changing as new customers enter the market. They are the young generation and represent the new India. So, we thought to create a product that raises the bar in the SUV segment,” the CEO added.

Meanwhile, Victoris, built with Rs.1,240 crore investment, will be manufactured at the company’s Kharkhoda plant in Haryana. It will be sold from Maruti’s Arena network and compete with Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Honda Elevate.

The SUV comes with multiple powertrain options, including a strong hybrid and CNG. It is the company’s first car to feature Level-2 Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) with functions like automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and lane departure prevention.

While expanding its SUV portfolio further, Maruti Suzuki is preparing to launch the e-Vitara in FY 2026.

However, Takeuchi clarified that the Victoris, positioned for Arena customers, would not cannibalise the Grand Vitara, which is sold through Nexa showrooms.