Maruti Suzuki India plans to launch a global small car made in India for the rest of the world. The company is investing heavily in its new R&D which is located at Rohtak and have plans to roll out the car by 2017.
“Our ultimate aim is to develop a car for the global market. With our new R&D centre at Rohtak getting ready, we will start working on a global car,” Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Managing Executive Officer (R&D) I.V. Rao said.
The company will develop the car, with some assistance from parent Suzuki Motor Corp (SMC), targeting the European and Japanese markets, he added. Mr. Rao also said: “It is difficult to share any specific time, but we are keeping a target of 2017.”
MSI is spending up to Rs 1,500 crore to set up a R&D centre at Rohtak, which will be SMC’s only such significant centre outside Japan, to scale up its vehicle development programme and become self-reliant.
The company is increasing its R&D manpower by over 20 per cent to more than 1,300 people in 2011-12 from 1,070 people in the last fiscal.
The new 800
Maruti Suzuki India is currently working on an indigenously developed small car for the Indian market that is likely to be launched in 2012. Without sharing any detail, Mr. Rao said: “It is a totally new model, but will be developed on an existing platform.”
The car will be powered by a 800cc engine and will be positioned along with the company’s current best seller Alto.