Maruti Suzuki has planned slew of new car launches in India by 2022-23
Providing a glimpse of what Maruti Suzuki’s portfolio might look like in the near future, trademark names of some of the company’s upcoming cars have been leaked online. The names revealed in the trademarks journal are Espaco, Libertas and Solido.
All the names were filed by Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) on August 13 and approved on September 14. The trademarks are applicable for Class 12 products and the description reveals that the names are to be used for “vehicle; apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water”.
Next-gen products or all-electric variants?
It is possible that these new names could be used for all new cars and SUVs the company is planning to launch in the near future. There is a higher probability that these new names could be used for all-electric variants of Alto, Celerio and WagonR. The names come across as youthful and trendy and will go well with all-electric cars. Something like that will be really surprising, as bestselling products usually don’t go for a name change.
Maruti Libertas
At this stage, it would be too early to predict which new name will be used for which car. However, there’s no harm in a little guesswork. While Espaco and Libertas are entirely new names, Solido sounds similar to Solio, which is a mini MPV produced by Suzuki since 1997.
Maruti Solido
As Solio looks like a larger and more premium version of WagonR. It is possible that the new name Solido could be applied to the all-electric variant of WagonR. The name could also be given to the 7-seater WagonR MPV that Maruti is expected to launch in the coming months.
Maruti Solido
Other line of thought says that Solid could be an SUV. Considering that it has the word Solid in the name, which probably suits more to an SUV, than a hathback. Solido could be used for the Toyota-Maruti SUV, which will rival the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. This is expected to be launched by 2022.
Maruti ESPACO
Similarly, Espaco could be the name of Toyota-Maruti MPVs electric version. As the name somewhat implies that the car has to do something with ‘space’ – it more suits an MPV. We all know that Toyota and Maruti are planning to launch an MPV in 2023, which will sit above the Ertiga in company line-up. This new next gen Maruti Toyota MPV could come in electric as well, and thus the name eSpaco.
Maruti ESPACO
Maruti continues to dominate the Indian auto industry with close to 50% market share in passenger vehicle (PV) segment. However, it cannot stay immune to the new challenges that are coming its way. Things can change pretty fast in the auto industry, as we have seen with new products such as MG Hector, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue, and Kia Sonet. We have already seen Maruti Brezza’s dominance in compact SUV space cut short with new rival products. Something similar can happen in other segments as well.
The battle to dominate EV space
If it wants, Maruti can emerge as a major player in the all-electric segment over the next 5-10 years. The company is yet to launch a product in this space, but considering its capabilities and wide dealer network, it could easily catch up with rivals. As of now, there are primarily three fully-electric cars in the Indian market – Hyundai Kona, MG ZS and Tata Nexon EV.
All-electric WagonR could be launched as an affordable EV with decent range for city needs. The same applies to electric versions of Alto and Celerio. With cool sounding names such as Espaco, Libertas and Solido, Maruti could be on its way to create a new breed of bestsellers in the Indian automotive space.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
