Top 5 Landmark Moments For Maruti Suzuki Under Kenichi Ayukawa

Maruti Suzuki India announced a change of leadership at its board meeting towards the end of March. Hisachi Takeuchi will be taking over as the Managing Director and CEO from Kenichi Ayukawa, with effect from April 1. Ayukawa will stay on as Executive Chairman till the end of September to smoothen out the transition. As Maruti heads into a new phase under new leadership, let’s take a look at some of the highlights from Kenichi Ayukawa’s nine year stint, from April 2013 till March 2022, at the helm of India’s largest carmaker:

Vitara Brezza and Baleno

These are the two most iconic additions to Maruti’s lineup during Ayukawa’s tenure. They brought Maruti into new segments like the premium hatchback space with the Baleno and the sub-4m SUV space with the Vitara Brezza. Both models have been the best-sellers in their respective segments, setting industry benchmarks as value-for-money offerings with solid engineering under the skin.

Establishing NEXA

One of the biggest accomplishments for Maruti as a brand in recent years was setting up the Nexa line of dealerships for its premium models in 2015. It started with the S-Cross compact SUV and was soon joined by the Ciaz, Ignis, Baleno and XL6. The Baleno premium hatchback has gone on to be one of Maruti’s most popular models, and has helped the Nexa brand grow rapidly. 

Ditching diesel

When Maruti announced that it will not be upgrading its diesel engines to be compliant with BS6 emission norms, it sent shockwaves through the automotive scene. At the time, the highly popular Vitara Brezza was a diesel-only offering and many other Maruti top-sellers were sold with the same 1.3-litre diesel engine. It was also the popular powertrain for most of Maruti’s larger models like the Ciaz and Ertiga. However, it seems like Ayukawa took the brand in the right direction with the decision to ditch diesels in India, and many other brands have taken a similar route since 2020. Now, Maruti’s lineup is powered by new and efficient petrol engines which are offered with the choice of CNG variants too.

Shared products with Toyota

Okay, so the Suzuki-Toyota partnership was a global event and not one that was particularly led by Kenichi Ayukawa himself. But he did oversee the start of the badge-engineered offerings in India with the Baleno-based Glanza and the Urban Cruiser based on the Vitara Brezza. The shared models have been relatively well-received and there are more products still to come from this joint venture including new, co-developed models. The partnership is expected to carry through to their first hybrid and EV products for India as well.

Surviving COVID-19

Most industries were adversely affected by the pandemic and presented a host of challenges. From lockdowns to health concerns for their employees, companies have had to find a way to counter their economic losses and bounce back from the severe disruptions. For Maruti Suzuki India, Kenichi Ayukawa was at the helm to guide the company through the global crisis.

Also read: 

• Suzuki To Invest Nearly Rs 10440 Crore To Build Electric Vehicles In India 

• Maruti Toyotsu MSTI Vehicle Scrapping Facility Experience 

• Upcoming Maruti-Toyota SUV Spotted Testing: 5 Things To Know 

These were our top picks from the many highlights of Maruti Suzuki under Kenichi Ayukawa. In the announcement regarding his departure from the role of MD and CEO, Ayukawa stated, “India is one of the most interesting and promising automobile markets in the world and it has been both a challenging and a fulfilling stint for me. Mr Takeuchi has an excellent understanding of the Indian as well as international markets and is placed well to lead Maruti Suzuki into the future. I wish him a successful journey ahead.”

Maruti already has a host of important new and updated models lined up for the rest of 2022. Perhaps the biggest moment we’ll witness under Maruti’s new leadership will be the brand’s shift to electrified models for India, with the first EV expected to debut in 2025.