April 1, 2013: Maruti Suzuki India plans to give a further boost to its Ertiga MPV by introducing a CNG variant soon. According to reliable sources, the company will announce and even start rolling out the greener variant of the Ertiga within 2-3 months. India’s largest carmaker aims to sell nearly 1,000-1,500 units of the Ertiga CNG variant every month.

Currently sold in petrol (1.4-litre, 4-cylinder) and diesel (1.3-litre, 4-cylinder) variants so far, the Ertiga MPV, on an average, sells 5,500-6,000 units per month. Ertiga sales have been filling in the vacuum caused by the dip in the sales of other passenger cars from Maruti over the past year.

The Ertiga currently faces the closest possible competition from the Mahindra Quanto and the Renault Duster, with both these models selling in good numbers. However, the growing MPV/SUV segment lacks any CNG variant so far and Maruti Suzuki is preparing to tap this space by making the Ertiga the first CNG-powered MPV in India.

As 2012-13 comes to a close, Maruti can take pride in what it has been able to achieve with the Ertiga. Prior to its launch, Maruti kicked off exports to Indonesia in the form of kits. The vehicle has created a niche for itself and even as other rivals, particularly the upcoming Ford EcoSport, eye the potential of the compact SUV segment, it is clear that Maruti has the first-mover advantage. The CNG option will give it new power in the market. The Ertiga has joined the Swift, Dzire and Wagon R in the top 10 monthly vehicle sales.