Latest news with #ParthoBanerjee
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
Maruti Suzuki Swift Turns 20 In India, Surpasses 30 Lakh Sales Milestone
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is celebrating 20 years of its beloved hatchback, the Swift, in the Indian market. The car was first launched in the country in May 2005 and has now become one of the brand's long-standing models. Along with this, the car has evolved through four generations to get multiple updates to fit consumer preferences. This helped the car to become a favourite among buyers. Since its introduction, the Swift has attracted over 30 lakh customers in India, establishing itself as one of the country's most favored and lasting nameplates. At present, it holds a remarkable 31 per cent market share in its category and accounts for more than 10 per cent of MSIL's total sales. The company claims that nearly 25 per cent of Swift purchasers have returned to buy another Swift. Also Read: Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge To Launch In India Tomorrow Over the past two decades, the Swift has experienced four significant generational updates, each reinforcing its fundamental characteristics of being a fun, stylish hatchback. The first-generation Swift (2005) brought a fresh design language to the Indian market. The second generation debuted in 2011, offering enhancements in weight and maneuverability. The third generation, which launched in 2018, introduced advanced features and technology to meet changing consumer preferences. Presently, the Maruti Suzuki Swift is in its fourth generation and comes at a starting price of Rs 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom). In this avatar, it is powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder Z-series petrol engine, which produces 80 hp of power and 117 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include automatic and manual. The consumers also get a CNG version of the hatchback. Commenting on the occasion, Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, 'The Swift is an icon in its own right. Celebrated by over 3 million customers in India alone, the Swift is an expression of fun and freedom. The Swift has set new benchmarks over the years with every new model, improving on the inherent 'fun-to-drive' DNA. This ever so special nature of the Swift has ensured that nearly one out of every four Swift owners come back to buy another Swift. Today, it enjoys an admirable 31% market share in its segment, contributing to over 10% of MSIL sales. On this special 20-year anniversary, we would like to thank all our customers for their unwavering love for brand Swift.'
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Swift: India's favourite hatchback that ruled Indian roads for two decades now enters adulthood
The Maruti Suzuki Swift , a name that has become almost synonymous with the Indian hatchback segment, has completed 20 years on Indian roads. Since its launch in May 2005, the Swift has seen four generations, sold over 30 lakh units in India, and now holds a 31 % share in its segment. It continues to be one of the highest-selling models for Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), accounting for over 10 % of the company's total sales. Swift owners come back to buy another Swift: Maruti thanks customers Marking the occasion, Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales at MSIL, said: 'The Swift is an icon in its own right. Celebrated by over 3 million customers in India alone, the Swift is an expression of fun and freedom. The Swift has set new benchmarks over the years with every new model, improving on the inherent 'fun-to-drive' DNA. This ever so special nature of the Swift has ensured that nearly one out of every four Swift owners come back to buy another Swift. Today, it enjoys an admirable 31% market share in its segment, contributing to over 10% of MSIL sales. On this special 20-year anniversary, we would like to thank all our customers for their unwavering love for brand Swift.' A journey through four generations Since its first generation in 2005, the Swift introduced a new look to India's small car market. In 2011, the second generation offered a lighter build for better performance. The 2018 version came with upgraded features for tech-savvy customers. In 2024, the fourth-generation Swift was launched with new safety and sustainability goals and a redesigned look. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo Maruti Swift: New engine for a new era The latest Swift is powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder Z-Series petrol engine. It delivers 82PS of power and 113Nm of torque. Buyers can choose between a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT. According to the company, the car offers fuel efficiency of 24.8 kml (manual) and 25.75 kml (AMT). Inside the car, a 9-inch Smartplay Pro+ touchscreen, a 4.2-inch information display, wireless charging, automatic climate control, and an Arkamys-tuned sound system are included. Suzuki Connect provides over 40 connected features including remote functions and diagnostics. Live Events Maruti Swift: Safety Features The Swift includes six airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, hill hold assist, and 3-point seat belts for all passengers under the Arena Safety Shield. It is sold with a 3-year or 100,000-km warranty, extendable up to 6 years or 160,000 km. Maruti Swift Price by variant (ex-showroom) LXi MT – ₹6.49 lakh VXi MT – ₹7.29 lakh VXi AMT – ₹7.79 lakh VXi (O) MT – ₹7.56 lakh VXi (O) AMT – ₹8.06 lakh VXi CNG – ₹8.19 lakh VXi (O) CNG – ₹8.46 lakh ZXi MT – ₹8.29 lakh ZXi AMT – ₹8.79 lakh ZXi+ MT – ₹8.99 lakh ZXi+ AMT – ₹9.49 lakh ZXi+ MT Dual Tone – ₹9.14 lakh ZXi+ AMT Dual Tone – ₹9.64 lakh Swift still a key player for MSIL Even after two decades, the Swift continues to be one of the most important cars in the Maruti Suzuki lineup. Its high sales, wide appeal, and frequent repeat buyers show that the Swift has grown into one of India's most trusted hatchbacks.
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Swift celebrates 20 years, contributes to over 10% of Maruti Suzuki sales
Maruti Suzuki is celebrating 20 years of its Swift in the Indian market. The sporty hatchback was first introduced back in May 2005 and has sold over 3 million units till now in the Indian market. Currently, the Swift has a 31 per cent market share and contributes to over 10 per cent of Maruti Suzuki's sales. Throughout its 20-year history, the Swift has consistently progressed and improved. By introducing a fresh perspective to the sporty hatchback category in 2005, the Swift became a remarkable success with because of its design and premium features. The 2nd Generation Swift, launched in 2011, was designed to be lighter and more nimble, reinforcing its reputation as a sporty hatchback. The 3rd Generation Swift, released in 2018, brought advanced technological features and catered to changing customer demands. In 2024, the 4th Generation Swift unveiled a new aspect of the Swift's iconic styling, along with the Z-Series engine The 4th Generation Swift is distinguished by its modern exterior which still retains the iconic sillouhitte of the original Swift. There is a wrap-around character line, a glossy black front grille, and smoky LED projector headlights. The Swift's interior, is driver-focused with a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and sporty asymmetrical instrument cluster dials, among other elements. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, 'The Swift is an icon in its own right. Celebrated by over 3 million customers in India alone, the Swift is an expression of fun and freedom. The Swift has set new benchmarks over the years with every new model, improving on the inherent 'fun-to-drive' DNA. This ever so special nature of the Swift has ensured that nearly one out of every four Swift owners come back to buy another Swift. Today, it enjoys an admirable 31% market share in its segment, contributing to over 10% of MSIL sales. On this special 20-year anniversary, we would like to thank all our customers for their unwavering love for brand Swift." Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India. First Published Date:
India Today
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Staying strong, this hatchback from Maruti Suzuki completes two decades in India
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) marks the 20th anniversary of one of its most iconic models — the Maruti Suzuki Swift. Since its debut in May 2005, the Swift has evolved through four generations, consistently capturing the hearts of drivers with its styling and youthful appeal. Maruti Suzuki Swift advertisementThe Swift has garnered an overwhelming response from Indian consumers since its inception, with over 30 lakh units sold in the country. Reflecting on the occasion, Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales at MSIL, stated, "The Swift is an icon in its own right. Celebrated by over 3 million customers in India alone, the Swift is an expression of fun and freedom. The Swift has set new benchmarks over the years with every new model, improving on the inherent 'fun-to-drive' DNA. This ever so special nature of the Swift has ensured that nearly one out of every four Swift owners come back to buy another Swift. Today, it enjoys an admirable 31% market share in its segment, contributing to over 10% of MSIL sales. On this special 20-year anniversary, we would like to thank all our customers for their unwavering love for brand Swift."advertisementOver the past two decades, the Swift has transformed the hatchback segment in India. Its first generation broke ground with a design that blended dynamism and innovation. In 2011, the second generation introduced a lighter and more agile structure, enhancing its sporty credentials. By 2018, the third generation brought in high-tech features tailored to modern preferences. The latest fourth-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift, launched in 2024, brings a bold new design and a focus on sustainable mobility, powered by the brand-new Z-Series engine. On the outside, it features a modern and sporty look with elements like a sweeping wrap-around character line, a glossy black front grille, and sleek smoky LED projector headlamps. The interior continues to appeal to driving enthusiasts with its driver-centric cockpit, flat-bottom steering wheel, and sporty asymmetrical instrument the hood, the new Swift is equipped with a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder Z-Series petrol engine, delivering 82PS of maximum power and 113Nm of peak torque. It offers two transmission options: a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT. Maruti Suzuki claims fuel efficiency figures of 24.8 km/l for the manual variant and 25.75 km/l for the AMT the cabin, the Swift is loaded with modern features including a 9-inch Smartplay Pro+ touchscreen infotainment system, a 4.2-inch multi-information display in the instrument cluster, automatic climate control, wireless charging, and an Arkamys-tuned sound system. It also comes with Suzuki Connect, offering over 40 connected car features to enhance the driving true to its commitment to safety, the new Swift comes standard with the Arena Safety Shield. This package includes six airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), ABS with EBD, hill hold assist, reverse parking sensors, and 3-point seat belts for all seats. The car is backed by a standard warranty of 3 years or 100,000 km, which can be extended up to 6 years or 160,000 km for added Suzuki offers the Swift in five trim levels: LXi, VXi, VXi(O), ZXi, and ZXi+. The variant-wise ex-showroom pricing is listed LXi MT - Rs 6.49 lakhSwift VXi MT - Rs 7.29 lakhSwift VXi AMT - Rs 7.79 lakhSwift VXi (O) MT - Rs 7.56 lakhSwift VXi (O) AMT - Rs 8.06 lakhSwift VXi CNG - Rs 8.19 lakhSwift VXi (O) CNG - Rs 8.46 lakhSwift ZXi MT - Rs 8.29 lakhSwift ZXi AMT - Rs 8.79 lakhSwift ZXi+ MT - Rs 8.99 lakhSwift ZXi+ AMT - Rs 9.49 lakhSwift ZXi+ MT Dual Tone - Rs 9.14 lakhSwift ZXi+ AMT Dual Tone - Rs 9.64 lakhFrom redefining hatchback design to fostering a culture of spirited driving in India, the Maruti Suzuki Swift continues to be a cornerstone of MSIL's product lineup — a legacy built over 20 years and four generations of unmatched to Auto Today Magazine
India Today
2 days ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Why small car sales are falling
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 23, 2025)The small car, once a symbol of middle-class mobility and mass aspiration, is fast disappearing from Indian roads. Entry-level cars priced below Rs 5 lakh, which sold around a million units in FY16, declined to just 25,402 units in FY25. The share of hatchbacks in total car sales has halved, from 47 per cent in 2020 to 24 per cent in 2024. Hatchback sales of India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, fell from 771,478 units in 2020 to 730,766 units in 2024. The plunge has continued in 2025, with sales in the company's mini segment (Alto and S-Presso) registering a 31.5 per cent year-on-year drop in May, falling to 6,776 units from 9,902 units last year. Hatchback sales at the second-largest small carmaker, Hyundai Motor India, also fell—from 192,080 units in 2020 to 124,082 in (Illustration by Siddhant Jumde) advertisementThis has alarmed automakers. 'So somewhere the government has to understand that if they want to fuel the growth of the auto industry, they need to understand where the problem is and how to increase the size of the pie (small car sales),' Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer (marketing & sales), Maruti Suzuki, said at a media interaction on June 2. 'Some incentives are required, so that the customer who is not able to afford a car can come in and migrate to a four-wheeler from a two-wheeler.' Hatchback sales comprised 40 per cent of Maruti Suzuki's total car sales in 2024. R.C. Bhargava, the company's chairman, told india today that small car sales were upbeat until 2018. 'But now a large segment of the car market isn't growing. Overall growth of the auto sector happens only when all segments grow.' What worries him is that small car sales will keep declining if nothing is done to address the issue, and that this will eventually hit carmakers hard. (Graphic by Tanmoy Chakraborty) HIGHER COMPLIANCE COSTOne of the reasons small car sales have been falling is that their prices have gone up due to increasing regulatory requirements. 'There is a disproportionate increase in the price of cars due to the regulatory requirements,' says Bhargava. 'This year, we had to increase the price of some small cars because of the air bags we need to put on them. That has caused a slide in the retail market.' The Union ministry of road transport and highways has made it mandatory for small cars to have six airbags to make them safer. However, the industry estimates that the cost of airbags and the structural changes required can increase the vehicle price by up to Rs 60,000. Although car prices have been rising across the board due to regulatory requirements and emission norms, the segment likely to be most affected is small cars—for buyers with a budget of Rs 5 lakh, such additional costs can be a the case of Anjani Kumar Singh, 35, who owns a fabrication shop in Panvel in Navi Mumbai and earns around Rs 50,000 a month. He had long aspired to buy a vehicle under Rs 5 lakh, preferably a WagonR, by paying up to Rs 2 lakh upfront and financing the rest through an auto loan. However, he says the base price of the car is now around Rs 5.8 lakh. 'I don't think I will be able to own a new car anytime soon,' says the father of three, who hails from Sasaram, Bihar. 'I may go in for a second-hand car for now.'What miffs carmakers is that even a developed market like Japan does not have such stringent rules. For instance, it is not mandatory for kei cars, which constitute about a third of the country's car market, to have six airbags. They believe customers should have options. Bhargava says that if there is market demand for six airbags, manufacturers should provide them. 'In our case, there is no option for the customer. We do not know if all the customers would want to continue with the scooter and not buy a small car with six airbags or with some other of the features,' he says. Apart from six airbags, features like safety sensors and anti-lock braking systems add to the cost of entry-level vehicles. Moreover, vehicles have to adhere to Bharat Stage VI emission norms to reduce pollutants. This is hurting affordability, as it is largely determined by the car's initial price. Even when taking a loan, the down payment is based on the vehicle's upfront cites the example of two-wheeler sales to prove his point. 'Two-wheelers had reached 20 million sales in 2018. And after Euro VI came in, their sales fell sharply in the initial years. The same happens to small cars,' he says. Also, it seems strange that while scooters have hardly any safety features, policymakers want a car—a product of next-level aspiration for two-wheeler owners—to be loaded with 100 per cent of the safety features found in larger cars. What's lacking, carmakers feel, is a transitional stage between zero safety and full another hurdle is car insurance: a three-year insurance policy is mandatory at the time of car purchase. This means the premium has to be paid in advance for three years to ensure coverage for any liability arising from third-party damages or injuries. Road tax and Goods and Services Tax (GST) are additional burdens. In Maharashtra, for example, road tax varies with fuel and vehicle price—petrol vehicles (up to Rs 10 lakh) pay 11 per cent, diesel 13 per cent and CNG 7 per cent. Similarly, in Delhi, petrol (up to Rs 6 lakh) and CNG vehicles attract 5 per cent and diesel vehicles 6.25 per cent road tax. Meanwhile, small cars with engine capacities below 1200cc are levied 18 per cent GST. Put together, these add as much as 10 per cent to the car's initial cost. THE SUV SURGEA key factor behind the slump in small car sales is the shifting buyer preference for toward subcompact sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Models like the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Hyundai Venue are seeing higher demand—not just because they're priced under Rs 10 lakh, but also because buyers now favour the larger size. Their sturdy road presence, upright seating style and smoother ride are major draws. Sales of SUVs grew from just 716,976 units in 2020 to 2.34 million units in 2024, while that of multipurpose vehicles (MPVs) from 287,663 in 2020 to 586,467 units in 2024. SUVs commanded a 54 per cent share of the car market in 2024, compared to 29 per cent just four years ago. 'As incomes rise and credit becomes more accessible, buyers move upmarket,' says Ravi Bhatia, president and director, JATO Dynamics, a consultant. People want more features, more comfort, more brand appeal. 'Automakers prefer that too. It's easier to make money on a well-equipped mid-size SUV than on a barebones hatchback.'advertisementSmall car manufacturers now fear inventory buildup at dealerships due to lagging sales and have turned cautious. 'Till last year, it was all wholesale. Many of us were pushing cars out to the dealers and building inventory with them. They were all reported as sales. But now, we are moving much more towards retail figures,' says Bhargava. 'There is no purpose in pushing cars to the dealers and keeping large inventories and then giving big discounts to sell those cars.'Buyers are also gravitating towards used cars. 'A five- or six-year-old car today isn't what it used to be. It's safer, better-built and loaded with tech,' says Bhatia. 'For many first-time buyers, it becomes the smarter option: more car for less money. That puts pressure on new entry-level models, which often end up looking underwhelming in comparison.' India's used-car market surpassed new car sales in 2024, per a CARS24 report—5.4 million used cars sold versus 4.2 million new cars. The report also projects a 13 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in used car sales, pushing volumes to 10.8 million units by 2030. 'In a way, the used car market becomes the new entry-level segment,' Bhatia adds.A TAXING TRANSITIONWith regulatory requirements firmly in place, carmakers are now calling on the central and state governments to ease the tax burden and make small cars more affordable. Bhargava suggests a few measures: 'First, GST has to be reviewed and reduced. Second, the road tax must become an annual tax. And the three-year insurance should become an annual insurance.' If the road tax is spread to an annual tax, it would improve the initial buying price by 10 per cent. India has a relatively low number of cars per capita compared to developed nations. Roughly, there are 34 cars for every 1,000 people, significantly lower than in countries like the US (860 cars per 1,000 people) or Japan (612 cars per 1,000 people). India needs to bring down the prices of small cars if more people have to find them affordable. While the car market is naturally progressing toward larger vehicles with better safety features, the transition from two-wheelers to cars has become challenging due to affordability. For India to improve its per capita car ownership, addressing this affordability barrier is essential—as well as to India Today MagazineMust Watch
