Tuesday, August 23, 2011
By Pranjal Gera
Maruti’s global car to hit roads by year 2017
The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is looking forward to launch a new fully independently developed global car by year 2017. The company has already started expansion process of its new Research & Development capability situated at Rohtak. The Japanese partner Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) will be providing Maruti some assistance in developing this car.
The new global car will be developed mainly by domestic engineers. Though the company hasn’t revealed any specific time line of the launch of this car in the country, but it is expected to hit the Indian roads by year 2017.
The all new global car will be developed at an existing platform of the company. The Maruti engineers have taken part in development of a few global models earlier also including Maruti Swift and Maruti Ritz, both of which had been introduced in the Indian market.
Meanwhile, the company is also developing an all new small car model that will be placed in the segment of Maruti Alto. The new Maruti small car will be launched in the country next year in the price segment of sub Rs 2.5 lakh. The major competitor to this upcoming small car from Maruti will be Hyundai’s new 800cc small car, scheduled to be launched by the end of this year.
Maruti aims to enhance is R&D manpower to 1,300 people in the current fiscal as compared to 1,070 people in the last fiscal.
