Maruti Suzuki Flags 4-5 Months Lead Time for Strong Hybrid Kits from Japan

Maruti Suzuki India is facing supply constraints in its strong hybrid portfolio as imported kits from Japan, which have a lead time of four to five months, limit its ability to increase production even as overall SUV sales rise.

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said the company could increase production of petrol-powered SUVs more quickly, while strong hybrid variants depended on the availability of imported kits.

“For hybrid, we have to wait because the kit comes from Japan," Banerjee said during the company's October sales briefing on Sunday.

Lead Time Constrains Strong Hybrid Output

The comments came in response to a question about the relatively low contribution of strong hybrids to sales of the Victoris and Grand Vitara SUVs.

"So there is a lead period of almost 4 to 5 months. So if you increase the other volume, obviously percentage-wise it will come down," he said.

The difference in production flexibility means that even if strong hybrid volumes remain steady, their share of overall model sales could decline as the company increases supplies of petrol variants.

Banerjee said Maruti sold approximately 17,000 Victoris SUVs and 11,000 Grand Vitaras during October. These figures cover all powertrain options, including petrol, CNG and strong hybrids, rather than hybrid variants alone.

The Victoris, launched in September 2025, expanded Maruti's midsize SUV portfolio with petrol, CNG and strong hybrid powertrain options. It is sold through the company's Arena dealership network, while the Grand Vitara is retailed through Nexa.

Hybrid Share Drops to 7% Across Victoris and Grand Vitara

Both models offer a strong hybrid powertrain that combines a petrol engine with an electric motor and battery, allowing limited electric-only driving and improving fuel efficiency.

However, the growth in overall SUV volumes has not translated into a proportionate increase in strong hybrid sales.

According to an analysis of VAHAN registration data published by ElecTree, combined strong hybrid registrations for the Victoris and Grand Vitara increased approximately 15% to 13,172 units during January-September 2026, compared with 11,439 units a year earlier.

Over the same period, combined registrations across all powertrain variants of the two SUVs more than doubled to approximately 1.77 lakh units. As a result, strong hybrids accounted for around 7% of their combined registrations, compared with nearly 15% in the corresponding period last year.

The registration data shows a decline in the hybrid share of the two models, although it does not establish how much of the change was caused by supply constraints rather than differences in pricing or customer preferences.

GST Parity with Petrol

Banerjee also pointed to the GST treatment of strong hybrids, saying they were taxed at the same level as comparable naturally aspirated petrol vehicles. Unlike battery-electric vehicles, strong hybrids do not benefit from a separate lower GST rate.

The supply constraints come at a time when Maruti is reporting strong growth in its SUV portfolio.

According to the company's Q2 FY27 financial results, domestic SUV sales increased 68.2% year-on-year during the July-September quarter, supported by demand for its newer models.

Maruti reported total vehicle sales of 6.97 lakh units during Q2, an increase of 26.5% from a year earlier. Despite additional manufacturing capacity, the company ended September with approximately two lakh pending bookings and dealer inventory of 17 days.

The pressure on supplies continued into October, when Maruti reported record total dispatches of 2.76 lakh vehicles, up approximately 25% year-on-year. Management said pending bookings stood at around 2.45 lakh units at the end of the month, while dealer inventory had declined to 12 days.

The company has been increasing production through newly commissioned manufacturing lines and improvements in operating efficiency. Average daily output rose from approximately 9,100 units in Q1 FY27 to 9,600 units in Q2 and 10,100 units in October, according to Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs.

However, these broader capacity additions do not directly address the dependence on imported strong hybrid components.

Maruti has not disclosed how many hybrid kits it receives from Japan each month or when it expects component availability to improve.