Suzuki to Expand Nexa Dealer Network in India

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., which opened 100 upscale Nexa dealerships in India in the 12 months ended March 31, aims to expand the network to 250 outlets during the current fiscal year, according to The Nikkei.

The Nexa lineup debuted last August with the Baleno small sedan and S-Cross crossover vehicle. Suzuki aims to use the sub-brand to expand its market position beyond such low-priced minicars as the Alto and Swift.

Maruti Suzuki has sold about 70,000 vehicles under the Nexa brand to date, according to The Nikkei. The carmaker, which currently operates some 1,700 dealerships in India, will double its Nexa staff to about 5,000 this year to accommodate the 150 new higher-end retail outlets.

India’s annual passenger car market is about 2.7 million units, with Maruti Suzuki accounting for roughly half the total. The company hopes to achieve annual domestic volume of 2 million vehicles by 2020, in part by using Nexa to retain its own increasingly affluent customers, The Nikkei says.