Maruti to rejuvenate its portfolio with a new hatchback and a sedan in 2014

14/05/2013 - 13:16 | Maruti Suzuki | Nithyanandh K

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. still holds on to its supremacy but the market share has been slowly robbed by its competitors.

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A couple of years ago, MSIL boasted of an envious market share of 45% in the passenger car segment but this year the figure dipped to 39%. While cars like the Alto, WagonR, Swift Dzire and the Ertiga are flying off the shelves, the same cannot be said for the A-Star, the Estilo and the recently updated SX4.

India's largest car maker believes that replacing the slow selling models with fresh products would bring back the lost market share. Livemint.com reports that, according to their sources, Maruti is lining up two new products for 2014.

A hatchback codenamed YL7 is reportedly in the works and is expected to break cover at the 2014 Auto Expo. The car in question will be based on the firm's small car platform and could write the epitaph for the ailing duo of the A-Star and the Estilo.

The second car would be a sedan codenamed YL1 that is likely to be positioned above the Dzire. Since the next gen SX4 based on the Authentics concept, which was unveiled a the Auto Shanghai 2013, could graduate to D Segment, it makes sense for the new car to replace the current SX4 which is fighting a loosing battle with the likes of the Hyundai Verna, Nissan Sunny and the Honda City.

The hatchback segment has almost seized to grow while the C Segment sedans are yielding to compact crossover SUVs. We can't help but wonder why MSIL is silent about the production version of the XA Alpha mini SUV.

[Source: Livemint.com]

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