Maruti Suzuki plans to launch 7 SUVs over next 5-6 years, adds 5 lakh units capacity
New Delhi, August 9
Maruti Suzuki India plans to introduce seven SUVs over the next five to six years as the country's largest carmaker looks to strengthen its presence in the segment and prepares for further growth in the domestic passenger vehicle market.
In its Annual Integrated Report 2025-26, released by the company, Maruti Suzuki Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said the company has accelerated its capacity expansion plans amid confidence in its medium-term growth prospects.
"Reflecting our confidence in the medium-term outlook, we accelerated our capacity expansion plans. During FY 2026-27, we added 500,000 units of manufacturing capacity. Customer expectations continue to evolve rapidly. The Company has plans to introduce 7 SUVs in the next 5 to 6 years to further strengthen SUV portfolio," Takeuchi said.
The expansion plans come as Maruti Suzuki expects India's passenger car market to grow significantly over the next five years, with the company also seeing prospects for a stronger revival in the small-car segment.
Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava said the company is currently estimating that the Indian car industry could grow to between 6.1 million and 6.3 million units by FY 2030-31.
"We are in the process of making as accurate an estimate as possible of the likely growth of the car market in the next five years. Presently, we are estimating that the car industry would grow to 6.1 to 6.3 million units by FY 2030-31 and that the share of the small car market would grow significantly faster than its pace of growth in the last five years," Bhargava said.
The company said the revival of the small-car segment, strengthening of its SUV portfolio, a multi-powertrain strategy, capacity expansion and exports are among the key drivers expected to support its next phase of growth.
Maruti Suzuki recorded its highest-ever annual sales of 24.22 lakh vehicles in FY 2025-26, while exports also touched a record 4.47 lakh vehicles. The company crossed the two-million annual sales mark for the third consecutive year.
Apart from expanding vehicle production and its product portfolio, Maruti Suzuki is also stepping up its efforts in alternative fuels.
The company's board has approved setting up four biogas plants in the first phase at a cost of Rs 561 crore. Bhargava said Maruti Suzuki could make further investments in biogas production and distribution after gaining experience from the initial projects.
"We strongly believe that biogas can be generated in large quantities from locally available resources. This form of energy would substitute for imported CNG and be clean and renewable with zero import content," Bhargava said.
He added that the company hopes to "invest substantial amounts of money in the production and distributions of biogas" after learning more about the process and technology from the first phase.
Maruti Suzuki said its growth strategy would be supported by expansion in manufacturing, exports, technology development and cleaner mobility as it works towards its next million-vehicle sales milestone.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally! Maruti is waking up to the SUV demand. With 7 SUVs planned, they'll give Hyundai and Tata a tough fight. But I'm curious about their electric SUV plans - with the EV transition happening, they need to be future-ready. The 6.1-6.3 million unit projection shows the confidence, but let's see if the small car segment really revives as they expect.
As someone who owns a Brezza, I'm excited about more Maruti SUVs. The build quality and mileage are unmatched. But adding 5 lakh units capacity is a massive bet - what if the market doesn't grow as fast? Still, if anyone can pull it off in India, it's Maruti. Their after-sales service network is their biggest strength.
Interesting strategy from Maruti Suzuki. The focus on biogas is particularly noteworthy - India has massive potential for organic waste to energy conversion. However, I wonder about the regulatory environment and government support for alternative fuel infrastructure. The 2 million sales milestone is impressive, but sustaining that growth requires more than just capacity.
Maruti's SUV push is long overdue! They've been too reliant on hatchbacks and sedans. With 7 new SUVs, they're clearly reading the market right. But I hope they price them competitively - the Indian consumer wants value for money. The biogas investment is also a smart diversification.
As a Maruti owner, I'm happy but cautious. Their service network is unbeatable, but quality issues have been reported in newer models. Also, with
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