Suzuki to cater Indian consumer first with Maruti Swift

Suzuki to cater Indian consumer first with Maruti Swift

Maruti Suzuki Swift is said to be the first global car from the stables of Suzuki and it is now available in India. The potential of the car is such that the company would love to export a sizeable number to many European markets. However, they have decided to delay the export route for the time being and concentrate on the Indian customer first.

The company Maruti Udyog has no plans to export Suzuki Swift in the current year due to possible capacity constraints with high demand in the local market. They would be outsourcing the demand from the European and American market from the manufacturing plants in Japan and China. The company has already indigenized over 85 per cent of the Swift car and this gives them high flexibility in pricing the model in India.

Their plant in Gurgaon has an installed capacity of 3,50,000 units per annum. However, high demands make them manufacture almost twice that many numbers by running two shifts. The company is hoping to sell around half a lakh swifts in the current fiscal year. They plan to capture around 50% of the automobile market in India by the end of the year with increased sales.

Swift is directly in competition with the recently launched Hyundai Getz and is priced competitively. It is also expected to give Tata Indica and Fiat Palio a run for the money. Though, lack of a diesel engine might make few potential customers look other ways. The company is however expecting to launch a diesel variant of the car in 2007.