Quick Take
- Maruti’s SUV share hit 30% in Q1 FY27, up sharply from 12% in FY23.
- The carmaker targets 25 to 30% SUV sales growth in FY27, per Partho Banerjee.
- Kharkhoda plant expansion and the Brezza refresh will drive the next volume push.
In This Article
The Maruti SUV focus has reshaped India’s largest carmaker, lifting SUV share to around 30% of sales in the first quarter of FY27, up from 12% in FY23, according to Business Standard. Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki India, has set a target of 25 to 30% SUV sales growth for FY27, announced around the July 25, 2026 Brezza refresh launch in Mumbai.
The plan rides on the refreshed Brezza, the fast-selling Victoris, and fresh capacity from the company’s Kharkhoda plant. Maruti sold over 522,000 SUVs in FY26, per Business Standard. A 25 to 30% jump would push FY27 SUV volumes to roughly 653,000 to 679,000 units, a scale that would firm up its claim on the top spot in the segment.
StartupFeed Insight
The real story is not the SUV share, it is the powertrain hedge underneath it. Maruti is scaling petrol, CNG, strong hybrid, and electric across one SUV line instead of betting on a single technology, which lets it flex output with demand and fuel prices. Founders and auto investors should watch the Kharkhoda ramp closely, because production, not demand, is now the ceiling on growth. StartupFeed expects Maruti to cross a 32% SUV mix by Q4 FY27 if the second Kharkhoda plant stays on schedule, with CNG SUVs doing the heavy lifting in tier-2 India. By Harshvardhan Jain.
Maruti SUV Focus: The Numbers Behind the Shift
The Maruti SUV focus is best read through one hard number: SUVs made up around 30% of the company’s sales in Q1 FY27, compared with just 12% in FY23, per Business Standard. That is a near tripling of segment weight in roughly four years, and it marks the clearest strategic turn for a company long known for small, fuel-efficient hatchbacks.
The company sold over 522,000 SUVs in FY26, according to Business Standard. Growth of 25 to 30% in FY27 would lift that to about 653,000 to 679,000 units. Banerjee framed the target as a mix of new models and existing brands, not new launches alone.
Maruti SUV Growth by the Numbers
The FY27 target rests on measurable gains across share, volume, and capacity. The table below sets out the key figures Maruti has shared.
| Metric | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SUV share, FY23 | 12% | Base year (Business Standard) |
| SUV share, Q1 FY27 | Around 30% | Near tripling in four years |
| FY26 SUV sales | Over 522,000 units | Company figure via Business Standard |
| FY27 SUV growth target | 25 to 30% YoY | Set by Partho Banerjee |
| Implied FY27 volume | 653,000 to 679,000 units | StartupFeed estimate on stated target |
| Kharkhoda capacity (May) | 500,000 units per year | Second 250,000-unit plant commissioned |
The standout fact is the pace. A jump from 12% to 30% share in four years is rare for a carmaker of Maruti’s size, and it explains the sharp focus on SUV production capacity.
About Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki India Limited is India’s largest passenger vehicle maker, founded in 1981 as Maruti Udyog and headquartered in New Delhi. A subsidiary of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation, it builds cars across hatchback, sedan, and SUV segments through its Arena and Nexa retail networks. The company sold over 2.2 million vehicles in FY25 and leads India on both domestic sales and passenger vehicle exports, with its SUV range now anchoring growth.
Why is Maruti betting so big on SUVs?
Maruti is betting on SUVs because the Indian buyer has changed, and the company reads mindset over demographics. Banerjee has said the entry-SUV buyer has grown 37% more aspirational since 2017, more than twice the pace of industry growth, per Business Standard. Performance, technology, and boot space now rank far higher in purchase decisions than they did a decade ago.
“We are not just making a product now. We are trying to see what this young India wants. I don’t go by demographics. I go by psychographics. It is the mindset that makes the difference,” Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, told Business Standard.
That thinking shaped the refreshed Brezza, built for first-time buyers, replacement buyers, and additional-car buyers who now each make up roughly a third of its base. The Victoris, launched in September 2025, carries the same logic with tech-heavy features and multiple powertrains. You can read the company’s own framing in its official Victoris launch release.
Can Maruti build enough SUVs to hit its target?
Capacity, not demand, is the real test for the Maruti SUV focus. Brezza production has moved entirely to the Kharkhoda facility, which also builds the Victoris, forcing Maruti to balance output between the two models based on demand and parts supply, per Business Standard. The powertrain mix will also depend on what the line can produce.
Maruti commissioned Kharkhoda’s second 250,000-unit plant in May, taking the site to 500,000 units a year, with another 250,000-unit plant due during FY27. The longer-term goal is one million units annually once the facility is fully operational. That ramp decides whether the 25 to 30% target lands.
How does Maruti compare with rivals?
Maruti’s SUV push comes in India’s most crowded segment, where Tata Motors, Mahindra, and Hyundai all hold strong positions. The company’s edge is scale and its multi-fuel spread across one SUV line, rather than a single premium bet.
| Player | SUV Strength | Key Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Maruti Suzuki | Brezza, Victoris, Grand Vitara, Fronx | Scale, CNG and hybrid spread |
| Tata Motors | Nexon, Punch, Harrier | EV lead in mass market |
| Mahindra | Scorpio, XUV range, Thar | Rugged SUV brand equity |
What sets Maruti apart is its powertrain range on a single platform, letting it serve petrol, CNG, hybrid, and EV buyers without splitting its lineup thin.
What’s Next
The next milestone is Kharkhoda’s third plant, expected on stream during FY27, which would lift annual capacity toward 750,000 units and ease the Brezza-Victoris output squeeze. Maruti’s SUV mix and fuel split through the year will show whether its psychographics bet holds at scale. Will multi-fuel SUVs let Maruti hold the top spot, or will rivals close the gap first?
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