Maruti Suzuki Targets Hybrid Car Market in India

Buoyed by positive response for the new Grand Vitara Hybrid, Maruti Suzuki is now planning to introduce more hybrid cars in India. MSIL believes that the Hybrids could be a good alternative to petrol engines. This would allow customers to get a feel of electric before completely switching towards fully-electric models. 

Not just strong hybrids, MSIL is also offering mild hybrid tech in most of its cars. With the addition of hybrid technology, fuel efficiency of Maruti Suzuki cars have increased significantly. Cars like Brezza, Baleno, Swift, Dzire and others are offered with petrol engines with a mild hybrid tech

Maruti Suzuki's New Hybrid Tech

The company's current hybrid cars including the Grand Vitara and Invicto are offered by Toyota's series-parallel hybrid system. However, the brand's upcoming strong hybrid models will be fitted with in-house developed and cheaper series hybrid technology. 

The series hybrid powertrain will be significantly cheaper than a series-parallel and parallel-only hybrid powertrains. In the series hybrid system, the petrol engine works as a generator or range extender. It produces electricity to power an electric motor, which serves as a main powertrain to drive the wheels. 

The electric motor drives the wheels, while the motor draws electric power from either a smaller battery pack or a generator run by the petrol engine. A similar setup is also used by Nissan, which offers a series hybrid powertrain in the Nissan Note. 

Maruti Suzuki's new HEV-based series hybrid powertrain will receive the all-new Z12E, 3-cylinder engine. This engine will act as a generator to charge a 1.5-2kWh battery pack. The electric motor draws power from the battery pack to drive the front wheels.

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Let Us Now Briefly Discuss the Upcoming Hybrid Cars from Suzuki. 

Maruti Suzuki Fronx Hybrid
New Swift
Spacia-based compact MPV
Next-gen Brezza
Grand Vitara 7-seater

The Fronx facelift will be the brand's first model to feature Maruti Suzuki's new series hybrid powertrain. The updated model is expected to be launched sometime in the second half of 2025. The new-gen Swift hatchback will also receive this hybrid powertrain, but at a later stage. Media reports suggest that the new Swift hybrid could be launched by 2027.

Maruti Suzuki is also working on a new sub-4 meter MPV, which is reportedly to be based on Suzuki Spacia. This 3-row MPV will be positioned against the Renault Triber and will sit below the Ertiga. The company has also started working on the next-gen Baleno hatchback, which is likely to be launched sometime in 2026. All these models will be equipped with Maruti Suzuki's new Series-hybrid powertrain. 

Maruti Suzuki is also working on the next-gen Brezza, which is reportedly to be introduced with hybrid powertrain sometime in 2029. MSIL is also developing a new 7-seater SUV, which will be based on the Grand Vitara. The 7-seater Maruti Grand Vitara will be equipped with the same 1.5L strong hybrid powertrain that powers the 5-seater model. This 7-seater SUV is reportedly to be launched sometime in early 2025.

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