The multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment is growing by leaps and bounds along with the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment in the domestic market. Customers are also choosing MPVs for personal use as they are loaded with new technology and safety features.

For instance, Kia India had a successful run with the recently launched Carens, and Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) is also launching two MPVs back-to-back — the all-new Ertiga launched on Friday and the XL6 in the coming week. Bookings of the new Ertiga have already crossed more than 7,500 units till date.

“For Ertiga, we received close to 1,200/1,300 bookings per day. The segment has found a lot of traction recently and we have 61 per cent market share in the MPV segment,” Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director – Marketing & Sales, MSIL, told BusinessLine.

He added that MSIL’s volumes in this segment crossed 13,000 per month and the company is moving towards customers who prefer feature-rich products.

“Aspirational customers are now buying MPVs, so our goal is to increase volumes in this segment,” he said.

Srivastava added, “People prefer our CNG variant in Ertiga because the cylinder is placed in a such way that there is an ample boot space for long journeys.”

He said that 48 per cent of the total Ertiga sold are in CNG.

According to Hardeep Singh Brar, Vice President and Head of Sales and Marketing, Kia India, the Carens has received tremendous response from customers and the vehicle has struck the right chord with modern Indian families across the country.

“Recently, the Carens crossed 50,000 bookings within two months of starting bookings. We saw great demand from all parts of the country; in fact, 42 per cent of bookings came from Tier-3 and beyond cities,” he said.

Brar said the company has tried to address the need gap in the three row segment by catering to the evolved needs of the customers. However, because of semi conductor shortages, companies are not able to make deliveries on time. For instance, the standard waiting period on Carens is somewhere between three months and one year depending on the variant.

“We have recently started the third shift at our Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh which will help us increase our production and eventually lower waiting periods. We are keeping a close eye on the situation and are ready to take all the necessary steps when required,” he said.

According to Srivastava, the MPV segment achieved domestic sales of around 2.61 lakh units in 2021. This year, the industry is expected to sell more than 2.80 lakh units.

Apart from MSIL and Kia India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has also been doing well with its Innova Crysta, mostly on the commercial side (tours and travels), and clocked almost 8,000 units in March.

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