Automakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota and Renault are preparing around half a dozen small hybrid vehicles for India over the next 18-24 months, drawn by lower 18% GST on compact cars and tighter CAFE 3 norms.

Plug-in hybrids and flex-fuel strong hybrids are more fuel efficient when compared with pure petrol or diesel cars and get a 2.5 super credit multiplier under CAFE 3.

New Delhi: Automakers from Maruti Suzuki to Hyundai, Toyota and Renault are set to drive in about half a dozen small hybrid vehicles to the Indian market over the next 18-24 months, supported by lower taxes on compact cars and to meet new fuel-efficiency regulations. Maruti Suzuki is working on an affordable hybrid system that can go into small cars Fronx, Baleno, Swift and Brezza with the first of these due to hit the road next year, industry insiders said. The local unit of Korean automaker Hyundai Motor is readying a small hybrid vehicle for the Indian market for a mid-2027 launch, they said. Toyota’s Indian unit is planning a hybrid version of the Urban Cruiser Taisor, which will follow the hybrid version of Maruti Suzuki Fronx, said the industry executives. Renault’s sub-four-metre urban SUV based on the ‘Bridger’ concept, also featuring a hybrid powertrain, is scheduled for launch late next year. Advt

Among mass-market carmakers, Maruti Suzuki, Honda Cars India, Kia and Toyota Kirloskar Motor sell hybrid vehicles like the Innova Crysta, Sorento and Grand Vitara in the local market, but all these models are priced upwards of Rs 16 lakh, limiting customer acceptance.

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