Maruti sleeping at the wheel! No new cars, no new technology

Maruti's management needs to spend the coming 7 days in MG, Hyundai, Kia, Tata, Mahindra showrooms.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We've been so busy with new car test-drives over the last year or so! I was just reviewing all our TDs & realised, it's been a l-o-n-g time since I tested a Maruti. Had a quick look and the all-new Maruti launched was way back in September 2019  (S-Presso). In the same time period, we have tested 9 Hyundais (including spicy variants like the i20 N-Line) and 7 Tatas (including the upcoming Punch & the electric Tigor). Clearly, other market leaders are pushing hard, while Maruti is resting on its laurels.

Everyone knows that fresh new cars are the best way to stimulate customer interest, maximise profits & draw footfalls to your showrooms. New launches are critical to staying relevant.

Where are the new Marutis? Their line-up sure is looking awfully dated + uninspiring. Other than a new-gen Celerio (which will really be more of the same thing...yawn), I don't see anything fresh in the near future. The company had better watch out as its long-term position could weaken. Sure, Maruti has been enjoying good sales (September aside), but those are the fruits of the previous years of labour. I'm talking more about the coming 5 - 8 years and the company looks dangerously unprepared.

- Poor crossover / SUV portfolio. In a market that has greatly moved to them.

- No product in the 15 - 25 lakh segment which is the new "goldmine" of the Indian car industry. Why goldmine? Because it gives previously unseen volumes & fat profits, both. Forget the MNCs, Tata & Mahindra have developed competent SUVs in this segment, but Maruti simply doesn't have the in-house capability. How the heck can a company with 50% market-share miss the most important new segment in the market? What were the Maruti CEO, product planners, strategists & analysts doing??? Busy with 4-lakh rupee Altos?

- Poor R&D capability. Truth is, Maruti doesn't know how to build a class-leading modern engine, AT gearbox or premium product. It's great at cutting costs, in an era when the Indian customer is ready to pay extra for a premium car & premium experience.

- Selling terribly outdated technologies. E.g. same old 1.2L K-Series (no turbo-petrol).

- Out of touch with the next generation. I help a lot of people buy cars, and hardly any <30 year old in the recent past has called me about buying a Maruti. On the other hand, I get a whole lot of calls for Hyundais & Kias, Tatas & even MG Motors! Sure, this is anecdotal evidence, so make of it what you will.

- Jerky AMTs, but no proper ATs. Maruti's torque converter dates back to the 90s! Who the hell sells a 4-speed AT with an overdrive button today? Only dudes wearing bell bottoms.

- Out of tune with emerging customer tastes. Safety? LOL .

- Features such as panoramic sunroofs, ventilated seats, audio systems with subwoofers & amps...where are they? The customer's wallet size has increased, but Maruti has nothing to offer him / her there.

- No BS6 diesel on sale. 2/3rds of Creta sales are still from the diesel.

- The focus & money has moved inside the cabin. When was the last time a Maruti interior impressed you? Meanwhile, do check out the Astor by a newbie auto entrant. Sucks to say this, but Maruti's management needs to spend the coming 7 days in MG, Hyundai, Kia, Tata, Mahindra showrooms. Maruti is serving tap water when the customer is demanding bottled water!

- Tata is selling two affordable "proper" EVs. Meanwhile, Maruti keeps harping about its smart-hybrid tech which offers marginal benefits at best. Is Maruti ready for an electrified future?

- Maruti has always been lazy with new tech & trends. They didn't have MPFI ready and were banned in Delhi when BS1 came (Hyundai Santro was on sale though). They fought diesels all they could but when it realised you can't change customer preferences, they borrowed a 1.3L diesel from Fiat. Smart move, although it again shows their poor R&D capability. CVTs, turbo-petrols, 6-speed torque-converters? It's like asking a skilled carpenter to fly an airplane. Maruti is awesome at doing what it has always been doing = cheap cars, FE, great customer service, cutting costs, mass production etc. but it is greatly missing all the emerging trends. Much like McDonalds = superb fast food network, but you really don't go there for a premium experience, or healthy eating right? A "happy meal" isn't an aspirational purchase for you, is it? In fact, I am increasingly seeing Maruti as the "McDonalds" of the Indian car industry. Both are dominant, yet both are getting out of tune with emerging trends.

I could go on & on. The point of this thread is, Maruti is not fighting as hard as it should to retain its dominating position in the coming 10 - 20 years. It is simply unforgiveable for a market-leader to not launch a new product in 2 whole years & miss the emerging trends listed above.

I'm a big fan of the S-Presso (cheap + fun + practical), but if this is all you have to show for the last 2 years...YAWN. Wake up, Maruti! In terms of long-term strategy, Maruti is as weak today as it was in the late 90s when it experienced its last major challenges. Blindly banking on Toyota for future tech isn't really a solution. To me, it seems like Toyota buying into Suzuki has made Maruti even more complacent!

Not just us car enthusiasts, even the markets appear to be disappointed in Maruti. Compare Maruti's share price performance to the NIFTY 50. Especially look at the contrast in the recent years:

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