SUZUKI FAN

Designed-in-India Maruti car by 2012 , plans 600  acres in Rohtak for development facility  and test track by early 2013
DNA india was interview with RC Bhargava, Maruti Suzuki chairman. here is the full story.

What is the status of Maruti Suzuki’s R&D efforts in India?
There has always been technical collaboration between Maruti and Suzuki. Our engineers started actively working with Suzuki in 2002 for a small car design.You may also want to see
Since then, various models like Zen, Esteem and Omni have come out with the contribution of local teams. WagonR Duo in 2006 is one of the success stories of Maruti engineers in India. The AStar showcased in Autoexpo in 2008 was completely conceived by our engineers.

With the implementation of BS-IV norms in the country from April 1 this year, all the modifications for our products to meet these norms are developed by our teams locally. Eeco van launched in January was totally re-engineered by our teams on Versa platform.

Knowing the Indian conditions well, what are you doing to handle the fuel economy issue?
Our K Series engine is a major step in that direction. Available in 1 and 1.2 liters, the engine is one of the steps in the direction of fuel economy. AStar, Estilo, Ritz and forthcoming new WagonR have the engine. With this lightweight, green, fuel-efficient engine, Maruti Suzuki’s R&D has been able to develop a new transmission system to improve overall performance and driveability of a car. Reduction of body weight is another major task the local teams are engaged in for improving the fuel economy.

What is the maximum mileage you are offering on your products now?
New Alto, we said, will offer 19.4 kmpl mileage. But, it is not the end of our efforts. We are still working on this issue.

Does that mean your future cars will promise more than 19.4 kmpl?
Yes, it will definitely go beyond that. But, we can’t put a number to that at this point. In fact, fuel consumption depends on several factors including traffic flow and congestion on the roads. From the design point of view, the aerodynamic shape of the vehicle, tyres and the body weight have an impact on the consumption. Engine too plays a key role in reducing the fuel consumption. We are working on these aspects at this point. But, future models will definitely give more than 19.4 kmpl mileage. We are working together with Suzuki teams on this issue.

What does that mean?
This means that there is an important task for Maruti R&D team to enhance fuel efficiency of cars by extensively using lighter material like aluminium and plastic to bring down engine weight and friction, enhance fuel efficiency and performance and also reduce emission.

What can we expect from the Indian engineering team next?
We are working on developing a new model using an existing platform. For this, entire concept is being designed in India. This car will be fully designed and developed in India. For this, we are also hiring professionals from across the world including the US and the UK. Anyway, the India developed car would hit the roads by 2012. We are following a full body change model. This means designing and development of a new body and interior over an existing platform and engine. This would result in evolving a new product identity, including changes to the layout, seating systems, internal and external fascia and basic body structure.

Which platform will you use for this new car?
We are still working on this. We have several alternatives. We have already achieved the production of one million cars in India. We will also be able to sell one million cars in India in the near future. For this, we need different models. Suzuki has several global models. Swift, SX4, Vitara, etc are some of those models. Alto, WagonR, etc are the other products we have again based on the Japanese designs. But, these models have been on 660 CC. This does not work here. So, we have to redesign the product to suit the Indian market conditions.

What is the status of alternate fuels in your products?
So far, the only alternate fuel has been LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). But, with the implementation of BS-IV norms, we have to switch over to gas injection technology. We have showcased that technology already. Compressed natural gas (CNG) will be the next big wave in terms of alternate fuels.

But, the availability of CNG has been a major issue. How will that impact your plans?
With the gas finds in Krishna Godavari basin, CNG availability is not going to be an issue. The availability of natural gas is going to improve. Even compared to LPG, the running cost on natural gas is going to be extremely low. We hope to launch our new models with CNG in the next six months.

Today every car maker is in the segment where you had almost a monopoly. What else should you be doing to get an edge over others?
We have about 50% market share in the country today. All international automobile companies have been in India for a long time now. They are also getting into the A2 segment slowly. But, we have understood the value proposition perfectly. Whether it is in terms of the availability of spare parts, service or the total cost of ownership, we have an edge over any other company in the market today. In fact, our effort is to focus on value proposition than on cost of ownership.

Does introduction of new technology mean increase in the cost of products?
Not really. Today the manpower costs in India, even at the high end of the ladder, are still lower compared to the global costs.

Would the India centre be the hub of technology for Suzuki too?
Today our entire focus is on developing technology as core competence. We just bought about 600 acres in Rohtak for setting up of a technology centre with an outlay of Rs 700-1,000 crore. Apart from the development facility, this centre will also have a test track and for the first time we will have facilities for crash testing. We can develop a complete car out of this centre. We hope to see this centre up and running in 2012-13. This centre will augment our facilities at Gurgaon.

Is it true that you are already putting in place the End of Vehicle Life (ELV) compliance for all your future cars?

We have already started on that though it is not mandatory in India at this point. The ELV compliant cars use negligible amounts of lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium. Current regulations in Europe stipulate the maximum amounts of these elements that can be used in a car. Maruti Suzuki vehicles that are exported meet this stipulation and are ELV compliant. By this, a vehicle has increased recycleability and promotes environment care. We are determined to bring such compliance to our full range of cars in India. We don’t plan to pass on the additional costs to make a car ELV compliant to the customer.

source: DNA india

Related posts:

1. Maruti Alto, Wagon R, SX4 to get CNG kits in 2010
2. Maruti Suzuki to start work on 1000 crore test track soon
3. GM and Maruti Suzuki will add range with LPG/CNG car
4. Maruti Suzuki Launched five new models with CNG option
5. VW-Suzuki plans to carry out hybrid car R&D in India
6. Next generation Suzuki Jimny will come in late 2012/early 2013
7. Maruti plans new plant in Rohtak
8. Maruti has plans to introduce Kizashi in India soon and already working on 7 passengers MPV