Maruti Victoris, Grand Vitara hybrid share falls amid supply constraints

Maruti Suzuki says supply constraints on imported strong hybrid kits are limiting production of the Victoris and Grand Vitara hybrid variants. “For hybrid, we have to wait because the kit comes from Japan,” said Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer – Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki India, during the company’s October sales briefing.

“There is a lead period of almost four to five months [for hybrid kits]. So if you increase the other volume, obviously, percentage-wise, it will come down,” he added, referring to the slower growth in hybrid volumes compared with the overall sales of the two SUVs combined.

Maruti Victoris, Grand Vitara hybrid share falls to 7 percent

Banerjee said Maruti sold around 17,000 Victoris SUVs and 11,000 Grand Vitaras in October. These figures cover all powertrain options, including petrol, CNG and strong hybrid.

According to VAHAN registration data, combined strong hybrid registrations of the two SUVs rose 15 percent to 13,172 units between January and September 2026, compared with 11,439 units in the same period last year. However, total registrations of both models across all powertrains more than doubled to around 1.77 lakh units. As a result, strong hybrids accounted for around 7 percent of their combined registrations, down from nearly 15 percent a year earlier. 

Banerjee said the company could increase production of petrol-powered SUVs more quickly than strong hybrid models, which depend on imported components. He also pointed to the GST treatment of strong hybrids, which are taxed at the same rate as comparable petrol vehicles, unlike battery-electric vehicles that attract a lower GST rate.

Maruti increases overall production amid strong SUV demand

Maruti’s domestic SUV sales grew 68.2 percent year on year in the July-September quarter of FY2027. The company reported record total dispatches of 2.76 lakh units in October, up around 25 percent from a year earlier. This figure includes exports and sales to other OEMs.

Maruti has been increasing production through new manufacturing lines and improvements in operating efficiency. However, higher overall production does not directly address the supply of imported strong hybrid kits. Maruti has not disclosed how many hybrid kits it receives from Japan each month or when it expects component availability to improve.