Maruti Suzuki Kizashi - New Car, Old Strategies Thursday, 17 November 2011 10:46
Maruti Suzuki Kizashi - New Car, Old Strategies Thursday, 17 November 2011 10:46 To cater to rising demand for luxury cars in the fast growing Indian market, India’s top car maker Maruti Suzuki has launched Suzuki's premium sedan Kizashi. The luxury sedan segment has a mere 2.8 percent of the total auto market in India, one of the world's fastest growing, but a burgeoning middle class is seen spurring demand for premium cars. With the base model of Kizashi, priced at around Rs 17 lakh it will compete with the likes of Toyota's Corolla, Volkswagen AG's Jetta, General Motors's Chevrolet Optra and Honda Motor Co's Civic. Maruti Suzuki always positioned itself as a company which cared for the customer's pockets and has always branded its cars as fuel efficient and cost. Advertisements like "Petrol khatam hi nahi hota", “Kitna deti hai” exemplify that viewpoint. But with the growing level of disposable income in the hands of Indian consumers and an complete attitudinal change from being savings oriented to being spending oriented has brought about a luxury revolution of sorts. Every luxury brand conceivable Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Swarovski, Rolex etc has a presence in India. As for automobiles BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi, Porsche etc are making their presence felt in a big way. The luxury car market in India (entry level to mid range) is too big at the present moment for Maruti Suzuki to ignore and hence their decision to launch Kizashi. In recent times the SX4 can be cited as an example where Maruti Suzuki was successful in promoting the brand as a quality manufacturer of entry level sedans.
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