Maruti Suzuki never quite got the high end MPV segment right with the Versa, whose production has been finally halted permanently.
Maruti Suzuki APV India
Maruti Suzuki never quite got the high end MPV segment right with the Versa, whose production has been finally halted permanently. Even after massive price cuts and the Bacchan father-son duo advertising for it, the Versa never really made it at the bean counters. Now, Maruti seeks to erase all the bad memories and make a stunning comeback in the MPV segment with the Suzuki APV by March 2010. The boxy, yet smart looking APV is an able people mover, in the likes of the Chevrolet Tavera and the Mahindra Xylo. The Suzuki APVwas primarily designed as a versatile platform that can seat eight people in comfort as well as function occasionally as the luggage hauler. So, it comes with a capacious interior and a compact exterior that allows it to negotiate the cramped city streets.
Globally, the APV comes with 1.5 and 1.6 liter petrol engines. For India, these could be ditched in favor of the 1.2 K series petrol and the 1.3 liter Multi-Jet engine. The APV with the 1.3 Multi-Jet diesel engine and Maruti’s proven service would just be the perfect combo that could establish Maruti in the MPV market space. Now, let us hope that Maruti has learnt from the once overpriced Versa’s debacle and prices the APV sensibly. Already rumors are agog with the market watchers predicting a sub 4 Lakh price for the petrol APV. However, we estimate a 4.5-5.5 lakh price tag for the petrol APV and 5.5-6.5 lakh for the diesel variant. Watch out for the Maruti Suzuki APV.