Maruti lines up SX4 to take on City

TNN Apr 23, 2007, 03.30am IST NEW DELHI: A new model, new platforms and a new engine strategy for the future. Car market leader Maruti is readying for some top-gear action with the May launch of its new mid-size car SX4. The new car, which debuted globally at the Geneva motor show, will replace Baleno which was phased out a couple of months ago but will be likely positioned higher in the mid-size market to take on market leader Honda City which also does not have a diesel variant. The other two top players, Ford and Hyundai both sell more diesel versions of the Fiesta and Verna. To be launched in two trims, the SX4 will come with 79% local content and is a brand new platform for Maruti. Speaking at the event which showcased the model, Maruti MD Jagdish Khattar said, "This is the third platform in the Maruti stable and we may bring a fourth one in the future above the SX4." Currently Maruti has two platforms spanning it's A and B segment models. The SX4, Mr Khattar said, would help Maruti get back customers who upgraded out of its stable. "There are many customers who would like to continue with Maruti but we didn't have products for them because we weren't present in those segments," he said. "Now that we are with a product like SX4 they will return." Between the Esteem and the SX4 Maruti expects to cover the entire range of the mid-size market. The new platform will also tie in with an engine strategy to cover both Euro4 and Euro5 compatibility. Already the company is carrying out phase localisation of the MSeries engine of the SX4 and the first phase is complete. As for future engines, not only will all future models have new engines but also existing ones. And the new avatars would also have different engine displacement capacity. Although Maruti is not planning to introduce a hatch version of the SX4, available globally, it will launch the new Vitara this summer as a completely built unit. The new SX4 sedan is the third platform added to the stable of Maruti, with one for cars like for Alto and Zen Estillo and WagonR, and another for Swift. Putting at rest speculations that the Swift's diesel variant will eat into the sales of its petrol variant , Mr Khattar said," Before the launch of the diesel variant, Swift was selling about 3,000 units a month. Currently, we are selling about 4,500 units of the petrol variant and 2,500 units of Swift diesel," he said, adding that in March, Swift's total retail sales stood at 9,000 units. He attributed the petrol sales to fixed number of engines allocated by Suzuki Powertrain India (SPIL), which has led to long waiting periods for the diesel variant.

Maruti SX4 all set to hit the road

Ruchika Wadhwa, INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK May 7, 2007, 01.00am IST
Though Maruti's experience with Baleno in terms of sales was not noteworthy, the company is all set to roll out the latest three-box car 'SX4' in the A3-segment on May 7, 2007. The all new SX4 sedan from Maruti is being launched in two variants sporting 1.6 litre engine. The lower version of SX4, LXi, is likely to be priced at Rs 5.5 lakh and the higher variant, ZXi, would be approximately priced at Rs 7 lakh.

Maruti SX4 will belch out a total of 102 horse power with the help of Suzuki's advanced, next generation M-series global engine. The car will sport a 16-valve, DOHC, 1.6 litre engine which will meet the stringent Bharat stage-IV emission norms. Plus, the car can be made compatible with the forthcoming Euro-V emissions norms too, if needed. SX4 car has been especially groomed with Swift-like modern looks to take on the current segment leader, Honda City. The extended version of the same platform is being used for the SX4 that will currently be sold in China and India.

Maruti SX4 overtakes Honda City

Abhigyan Chand & Swaraj Baggonkar / New Delhi/Mumbai June 29, 2007

Honda City, the hottest selling car in the mid-sized car (A3) segment, has been toppled from its top position following the launch of Marutis SX4, the auto majors first real challenge in the big car segment, according to unofficial figures. Although Maruti did not reveal the retail figures of SX4 for the first six-week period following the May 7 launch, it claimed to have dispatched about 3,000 units during the period. This includes the cars displayed in showrooms and those used for test drives. According to the figures provided by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the company sold 5,008 units in the A3 segment in May. This constitutes a staggering growth of over 100 per cent compared with the same month last year. From 14.7 per cent in May last year, Marutis market share in the A3 segment has virtually doubled to 25.2 per cent. During the same period, Honda Citys market share has fallen from 22 per cent to 14.2 per cent. In FY 06-07, Honda City was the market leader in this segment selling over 40,000 cars, followed by Ford India, which sold 39,822 cars. But that position changed in April as Hyundai stole the show with a sale of 3,028 units compared with Hondas 2,915 cars. In May, Maruti upstaged both the auto majors, whereas Honda sold only 2,838 cars, a drop of 23 per cent compared with the corresponding period last month.

The other new car in the segment, Mahindra & Mahindra Logan, which was launched in April and started deliveries in May, clocked sales of 2,787 units for the month, grabbing a market share of 14 per cent in its first month in the A3 segment. As Logan is planning to ramp up production of the model in June, this could pose a tough challenge in the segment. Honda admits that the new cars have made an impact. Jnaneswar Sen, senior general manager - marketing, HSCI, said, There is some initial disturbance (in the sales of the City) which was expected. But in the long run, we will aim to maintain our leadership in the segment. Despite the initial hiccups, the company is targeting a sales growth of 5 per cent for the City and hopes to sell 42,000 units this year, up from 40,400 units sold before the end of the current financial year. Sen also said that the five-day maintenance shutdown in May had reduced Hondas numbers. The top-end variant of the Maruti SX4 is priced at 7.24 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), which is cheaper than all the variants of the City except the base model (which is priced at 6.77 lakh). Logans top-end variant does not even cross the Rs 7 lakh barrier, with the base variant starting as early as Rs 4.28 lakh. In response to Marutis challenge, Honda had recently circulated a 12-page document among its sales force, giving eight reasons why City is a better buy than SX4. Maruti saw this as an acknowledgement of substantial damage caused to the sales of the top Japanese car maker in India. Rajesh Jejurikar, MD, Mahindra Logan, said, Our biggest selling point for Logan is the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, which is better than the competitors (City and SX4). Moreover, we will be ramping up capacity from July, working on one-and-a-half shift basis. The factory will work on full capacity from August onwards.

Maruti halts production of mid-sized sedan SX4

PTI Sep 24, 2009, 11.58am IST Tags: SX4| Maruti Suzuki India NEW DELHI: The country's largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), has temporarily stopped production of its mid-sized sedan SX4. According to industry sources, the company has stopped its production of the current SX4 model in order to change engine, which would be in compliant with the Bharat Stage-IV norms. From April, 2011, 11 cities in India are supposed to be upgrading to the Bharat Stage-IV emission norms and Maruti Suzuki's SX4 is currently in compliant with only Bharat Stage-III norms. When contacted, a MSI spokesperson declined to comment, saying we don't comment on specific model production.

Maruti Suzuki to relaunch power-packed SX4

Chanchal Pal Chauhan, ET Bureau Sep 25, 2009, 12.09pm IST NEW DELHI: Passenger car leader Maruti Suzuki India has stopped manufacturing its most expensive car SX4, the mid-sized sedan, reinforcing the widely-held belief that the small car leader does not have the expertise to make and market big cars. Maruti will relaunch SX4 within a fortnight with a new 1.6-litre engine which will have a much higher pick-up. It will be more expensive than the current top-end Zxi variant, which comes at Rs 7.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Maruti will also rope in Bollywood star John Abraham as the new brand ambassador for the sporty model to arrest falling sales. SX4 was launched in May 2007 in three manual variants to counter Honda City but could not compete with Honda's superior technology and brand image. SX4 steered ahead of the City and clocked top sales of over 3,000 cars per month in the first three months of its launch but soon lost speed when Honda launched the third-generation City in November 2008. SX4 sales are now confined to a few hundred units per month. Honda has sold 37,600 of the new City till August 2009 since its launch (November 2008) while Maruti has sold only 9,763 SX4s in the same period. Despite being cheaper than the City by over a lakh, SX4 trailed by a huge margin last fiscal too, selling only 13,976 cars against City's 38,200 cars. The new SX4 will have an additional automatic variant, another first for any sedan from Maruti. It will deliver 165-175 newton metres of power, much higher then the outgoing model and will meet the latest emission norms. When contacted the company spokesman refused to confirm the development. "We do not talk about future launches and product refreshments. However, any product refreshment is an integral part of our marketing strategy to maintain excitement and meet customer's aspirations." Analyst tracking the sector said that by fully loading the new car, Maruti is making another attempt to prove that it can make all kinds of cars. "Maruti Suzuki is a good brand but its Japanese peers Honda and Toyota appeal more to customers when it comes to buying big cars. SX4 performed better than Maruti's other big car Baleno and initially even overtook City in sales.

However, it failed to maintain the momentum after Honda responded with a new and more powerful Honda City. Probably, Maruti is now looking for answers to challenge the mid-size car segment," Kapil Arora, partner at Ernst & Young said. Another top executive of the auto industry said just as Maruti has not been able to establish itself as a big car maker, similarly global car maker Honda has not being able to sell its small car Jazz, which sells less than 1,000 units per month compared with its closest competitor Maruti Swift that sells over 5,000 cars per month.

Maruti Suzuki launches new SX4 with VVT engine and automatic transmission
New Delhi, October 26, 2009 Maruti Suzuki, the largest car manufacturer in the country, today launched the new SX4 sedan with an engine powered by advanced VVT technology. The company has also introduced a 4-speed automatic transmission variant of the new SX4. The environment friendly new SX4 is amongst the first A-3 segment sedans to be BSIV compliant in the country. BSIV regulations are scheduled to be introduced in the country in April 2010. The new SX4 comes with a brand-new sporty honeycomb grille and 10-spoke 16 inch alloy wheels and dual tones interiors and plush upholstery. Announcing the new SX4, Mr. Mayank Pareek, Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) said, "The new SX4 is set to raise its own benchmark in luxury segment, even further. The car's distinctive stance and style profile is characteristic of today's modern sedans. With a VVT engine, it is all set to send the adrenalin pumping while caring for the environment. The 4-speed automatic transmission addresses the needs of today's cosmopolitan customers for convenience in the stop-start city traffic conditions. The new SX4 with a range of contemporary features is sure to win many a hearts." The VVT or Variable Valve Timing allows the timing of the intake valve to be changed while the engine is in operation, thereby ensuring that there is never a shortage or wastage of power. This leads to improved engine efficiency, optimized fuel consumption and lesser carbon emissions. With the advanced VVT technology, the car starts, accelerates and climbs steep slopes better. In essence, the technology is an intelligent system leading to a a smoother, more luxurious drive and better mileage. With a more efficient engine, the new SX4 has ARAI certified mileage of 15.6 km per litre of petrol. The superior technology engine helps the SX4's four-valve, 1.6 litre engine produce a maximum power of 104.68ps @5600 rpm. The engine also has a high torque of 145Nm @4100 rpm. Automatic transmission The 4-speed automatic transmission makes the city drive much easier. A slick shift allows easy downshift and effortless up-shift to ensure a smooth and sporty drive. The instrument cluster incorporates an

electronic

display

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highlight

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engaged

gear.

A cluster of computer controlled sensors constantly manage the throttle input and optimize the engine response accordingly, thus requiring no changing of gears. The overdrive mode in the Automatic Transmission provides additional power on the tap, whenever needed. When the SX4 sedan was launched in May 2007, Maruti Suzuki was the first automobile company to introduce class leading premium features such as air-bags, steering-mounted audio controls, auto climate control, glass antennae and many others in an A3 segment car for customer benefit. The tradition continues in the new SX4 with the company bringing in advanced VVT technology, which has so far been used only in the luxury SUV, Suzuki Grand Vitara. The interiors have been stylized in new two-tone beige colours to define calmness and luxury within the vehicle. The steering mounted controls are illuminated for easier usage at night, while there is a new provision of USB connectivity on the dashboard. In addition auto climate control system, and windshield antenna, the new SX4 sedan also offers illuminated key insert and variable instrument illumination. The new SX4 is available in 2 transmission - Manual and Automatic. While Manual Transmission has two variants VXi and ZXi, the Automatic Transmission is available in ZXi variant with optional leather upholstery. The ZXi variant also comes with safety features like ABS, EDB, Dual SRS airbags. The SX4 sedan is the tallest, widest car in its class. It also has the largest fuel tank capacity at 50 litres. It comes with the widest tyres and a boot space of 505 liters. The ground clearance of the new SX4 sedan is 190mm, the highest in the A3 segment. The SX4 is being manufactured at the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Manesar. Colours: The SX4 now comes in an array of seven vibrant metallic colours including 2 new ones: Azure Grey Clear Beige * New colours Pearl Arctic White Silky Silver FRENCH CLAIR* Midnight Black OYSTER BLUE *

Price: Prices of Maruti Suzuki new SX4 in New Delhi are: New SX4 (BS4 compliant) Model / Variant Transmission City SX4 VXi SX4 ZXi SX4 ZXi (Leather) SX4 ZXi SX4 ZXi (Leather) Manual Manual Manual 4-speed Automatic 4-speed Automatic New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi

Ex-Showroom Price (Rs lakh) 6.68 7.37 7.71 8.02 8.36