The first EV from Maruti Suzuki could be a mass-market mini SUV
If the news reports are to be believed, Maruti Suzuki’s first electric model to go on sale in India would be a mini SUV, currently codenamed YY8. Maruti, India’s largest passenger car maker, will benefit from the Suzuki – Toyota partnership, on the design and engineering of the EV’s powertrain. The vehicle is expected to launch in 2024.
The mass-market SUV, hoped to sell around 1.5 lakh units a year, will be manufactured at Suzuki’s Gujarat plant and will also be sold under Toyota branding in India and other markets. Maruti is looking to catch up on the EV trend, currently dominated by homegrown automaker Tata. Upon its possible launch in 2024, YY8 would be locking horns with the Tata Punch EV, which would be out by then. Tata as a matter of fact, is also working on electric versions of the Tiago and Altroz as well. Thus, the competition is not going to be subtle!
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With both the Toyota DNGA and Maruti Suzuki Heartect at disposal, it would still take time in confirming which one of these would go into the YY8, as both are electrification-friendly and versatile. The Heartect has heavy localization in it and is already in use on multiple mass-market cars in India, indicating the existence of a proven supply chain apparatus. The DNGA could take slightly longer to make it into mass production here. More on this would be revealed only as the production nears. The powertrain details also remain in the dark for the time being. However, the production-spec YY8 is expected to offer around 250-350 kilometers of range.
Maruti YY8 is likely to get a price tag of around Rs. 10 Lakh, upon launch.
Source: RushLane
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