Maruti Fronx Turbo Sales Only 10% Share; Are They Beta Testing Or Just Uninterested

Refer the following expected price article:

Latest Maruti Suzuki Fronx SUV Expected Price Calculation — #WithLogic

You’ll notice that we weren’t expecting the Fronx to start at a high price. And, we definitely didn’t expect the turbo to cost Rs. 1.0 lakh more than the 1.2L normal petrol engine. So, the prices just kept getting higher and higher than our expectations the closer you got to the top model of the Fronx.

The fact that they only offered the well-loaded Zeta variant with only the turbo petrol engine conveyed to us that they were serious about capturing the market of turbo petrol buyers. So, the 10% market share does come as a surprise but not a shock considering the premium Maruti Suzuki are charging for the engine.Tata, Mahindra, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Nissan, Citroen are all offering turbo petrol engines in their sub-4m cars. Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Honda are going in the hybrid direction.

Beta Testing Or A Checklist Item?

Now, the question arises: Is the turbo petrol engine just a checklist item for Maruti Suzuki just because all of their rivals have it? Or, they’re really serious about meeting the turbo petrol buyers needs?

If this is just a product to have in the Indian market just because their rivals have a turbo petrol, then there’s no point even discussing the 10% market share. However, it’s also possible that they’re beta testing the engine before they start offering it in other cars.

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Baleno Gets A Mild Hybrid Petrol

Do you remember the 2019 Baleno mild hybrid? It used to cost almost Rs. 90,000 more than the regular Baleno and offered an 11.54% improvement in the ARAI mileage figures. Besides the mileage improvements, the Baleno mild hybrid also had a slightly better power figure and its torque peaked 200rpm higher than before.

I wasn’t surprised when I saw the exact same power and torque figures slapped on the Dzire facelift in 2020. Even the mileage improvements were in the same ballpark as the Baleno vs Baleno mild hybrid. Soon, this engine also became the standard for Swift and WagonR before landing in the current generation Baleno. So, now, you get a mild hybrid engine in the Baleno, Fronx, Swift, Dzire and WagonR and you don’t even know it.

Back then, the 11.5% mileage improvement was not worth the Rs. 90,000 asking price. So, naturally, Maruti may have had poor demand for that engine. But the buyers were helping Maruti test the powertrain in the real world. It’s standard process for any product or service provider to release their offerings in a controlled manner to avoid public backlash. With fewer owners out there, the backlash is easier to manage, should it arise.

This could be one of the reasons why Maruti Suzuki want to limit the sales of the Fronx turbo petrol. They may be just refining the powertrain before they’re ready to turn up the heat with their hot hatch: Swift 2024.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Swift 2024 Expected Price Calculation — #WithLogic

Updated - Maruti Suzuki Fronx Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

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