 "Maruti confirms launch of premium MPV in next 2 months, a rebadged Innova!")
Maruti Suzuki (MS) has confirmed that it will launch its all-new premium multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in the market. The new model will be based on the Toyota Innova Hycross and is likely to be on sale from July 2023, an Autocar report said.
The premium MPV will be placed above Maruti Suzuki's own popular MPV, Ertiga. It should be noted that Maruti and Toyota formed an alliance in 2017 and have worked together since. The report added that, like Toyota's Grand Vitara, the new MPV will also be manufactured at Toyota's Bidai plant and later supplied to Maruti Suzuki.
According to the report, senior management at Maruti Suzuki has confirmed that they will be sourcing vehicles from Toyota. Elaborating on the development, the chairman of Maruti Suzuki, RC Bhargava, said that the vehicles will have a strong-hybrid engine, three-row seating arrangement, and top-of-the-line kind of vehicle in terms of price.
The vehicle will be launched in nearly two months, he said.
Maruti-Toyota Alliance
Since their alliance in 2017, Toyota has used Suzuki-built vehicles in the Indian market. It sold Maruti's Baleno and Brezza as Toyota Glanza and Urban Cruiser, respectively.
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At present, Toyota sells the latest-generation Baleno, the Ciaz, the Ertiga, and the Celerio in South Africa and Middle Eastern markets.
On the flip side, the upcoming MPV will be the first car that Maruti is rebadging from the Toyota line-up. The premium MPV is expected to be sold from Maruti's Nexa outlets.
High in demand, low in production
Toyota's Innova is already a high-in-demand vehicle with a waiting period of over 12 months. Toyota is planning to ramp-up its production to cater to the high demand.
Expected features and specifications
Maruti's MPV will be based on Toyota's global TNGA platform. The vehicle will come with a monocoque frame after it was changed from its earlier ladder-frame chassis. It will come with a hybrid powertrain which claims a fuel-efficiency of up to 23.2 kmpl.
The MPV will come powered with the same four-cylinder engine that Toyota offers in its Innova.