Maruti bets on automatic transmission and small diesel engine, targets 11% growth - Report

Maruti will be entering at least 5 new segments this fiscal year.

Maruti is looking to repeat its impressive sales performance this year. Last fiscal year, it posted a 11 percent growth by selling a record 1.17 million vehicles. Speaking to the Economic Times, Maruti's Chairman, R C Bhargava, said that the company expects to post a double digit growth this year as well, even though the SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) forecasted a growth of 6-8 percent.

Part of this growth will come from entering new segments like compact SUV, premium hatchback, mini SUV and compact diesel hatchback. The carmaker is also looking to expand the number of automatic transmission variants it offers.

Currently, Maruti offers an automated manual transmission (AMT) on the Alto K10 and Celerio, and an automatic transmission on the Swift Dzire and Ciaz. Going forth, the AMT technology is expected to be seen on the Wagon R as well. Maruti is already lining up the launch of a top-end Celerio ZXi AMT, which is expected to go on sale in the coming weeks.

The Ertiga MPV, which will undergo a facelift in the coming months, would likely launch with an automatic transmission reports state. An automatic transmission would make its presence on future models like the SX4 S-Cross, YRA premium hatchback and YBA sub-4 meter crossover, sources say.

Also read: New Maruti dealerships for premium models coming with different 'Touch & Feel'

Coming to the diesel engine, Maruti will be launching a Suzuki-developed, 0.8-liter diesel engine on the Celerio in the coming weeks. This engine is expected to offer industry-leading fuel efficiency, close to 30 km/l. It will also power Maruti's forthcoming LCV codenamed Y9T.

[Source - ETAuto]