Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and XL6 MPVs face significant order backlog amidst supply chain crisis: Report

Maruti Suzuki’s Ertiga and XL6 MPVs are currently grappling with a significant order backlog, surpassing 1 lakh units, according to Shashank Srivastava, the executive director of Sales & Marketing at Maruti Suzuki. The backlog can be primarily attributed to the ongoing supply chain crisis and production constraints that the company has been facing.

In the recently concluded financial year, the Ertiga emerged as India’s top-selling MPV, with Maruti Suzuki selling an impressive 1,27,679 units of the Ertiga and 36,423 units of the XL6. This outstanding performance solidified Maruti’s dominance in the Indian MPV segment, commanding a 50 percent market share.

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While the demand for both MPVs remains robust, Maruti Suzuki has encountered challenges in meeting production targets, particularly for the CNG variants of the Ertiga. As of May 2023, the backlog for the Ertiga CNG alone stood at 68,000 pending orders, representing almost 56 percent of the company’s overall CNG order backlog of 1,21,000 units. The remaining backlog consists of the XL6 and petrol versions of the Ertiga.

Presently, the waiting period for the Ertiga extends up to 8-10 months in most locations, while the XL6 has a relatively shorter waiting period of about 4-5 months.

Srivastava emphasized the evolving dynamics of the MPV segment, with the boundaries between SUVs and MPVs becoming increasingly blurred. Buyers are now seeking a holistic experience from three-row vehicles, expanding the appeal of MPVs beyond just large families to include young couples and office-goers. MPVs are no longer exclusively targeted at large families but cater to diverse lifestyles.