Title: Maruti Suzuki: reinventing for the big league

Authors: Daly Meppurath Paulose

Addresses: Mannalil House, Irimpanam (P.O), Ernakulam, 682309, Kerala, India; St. Teresa's College, Park Avenue Road, Ernakulam, 682011 Kerala, India

Abstract: The study discusses the case of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., India's leading passenger car company, which has always maintained a tag of being a warhorse in the mass segment, now wanting to tap its strong base of 15 million customers when they upgrade to the next level. Wary of its failure to foray into premium domains in previous attempts, MSIL is going the extra mile in its branding exercise this time. With the launch of stand-alone showrooms under the NEXA brand name that showcase the new array of premium passenger cars in Maruti's stable, the company is making unprecedented breakthrough into erstwhile unexplored terrains. By extensively funding the bold initiative, the company has put together a portfolio that appeals to customers in a retail packaging that appeals to discerning consumers. Given that Maruti Suzuki has maintained its traditional stronghold image of making affordable, low maintenance, readily serviced cars, the question is whether the car maker best known for its VFM offerings will be able to make the shift to the premium space.

Keywords: passenger cars; competition; premium; value for money; VFM; brand image; India; case study; Maruti Suzuki; rebranding; vehicle; teaching; price; value; budget.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2017.088934

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2017 Vol.8 No.4, pp.303 - 318

Received: 19 Jun 2017
Accepted: 31 Aug 2017
Published online: 02 Jan 2018 *

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