Maruti Suzuki Enters India’s Light Commercial Vehicle Market

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. is launching its first light commercial vehicle, a diesel-powered variant of Suzuki Motor Corp.’s Super Carry LCV, in India next month.

Maruti Suzuki spent about $45 million to develop the compact truck, which shares the Super Carry nameplate. The vehicle is being assembled at the company’s Gurgaon plant in Haryana.

MSI plans to market the little truck through a separate commercial sales network—initially in the cities of Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Ludhiana -—at a base price of about $6,000. The Super Carry will compete with such rivals as the Ashok Leyland Dost, Mahindra Gio, Piaggio Porter and Tata Ace.

MSI shipped 100 Indian-made Supper Carrys in May to South Africa and Tanzania ahead of the model’s debut in India next month.

The little truck will be powered in the Indian market by a 2-cylinder, 793-cc diesel that delivers 32 hp and 55 lb-ft of torque through a 4-speed manual transmission. The same powertrain is used in MSI’s Celerio hatchback, where it makes 73 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque. The company says the vehicle has a payload capacity of 740 kg (1,600 lbs).

Export versions of the truck are being equipped with a Euro 4-compliance 4-cylinder gasoline engine. The 1.2-liter powerplant also is used in MSI’s Eeco small van sold in India.

 Suzuki and Maruti discussed plans in the 1980s to introduce a mini-commercial truck in India. But they shelved the project after deciding the market was not yet mature enough.