Maruti Suzuki opens 200th Nexa Studio, targets 600-700 outlets by FY31

Nexa Studio currently contributes 8-10% to Maruti Suzuki's domestic PV volumes.

• Maruti Suzuki opens 200th Nexa Studio, targets 600-700 by FY31.
• Nexa Studio aims for 25-30% of Maruti Suzuki's domestic sales by FY31.
• e Vitara EV sees high demand, new EV line to be ready by early FY27.

Did our AI summary help?

Marking a key milestone in its retail expansion, Maruti Suzuki India on Friday opened its 200th Nexa Studio outlet and is aiming to scale up the network to 600-700 by FY31, with a target of increasing the format's contribution to 25-30% of its overall domestic sales.

Introduced in August 2024, the Nexa Studio format was conceptualised to extend Nexa's premium experience to new geographies in non-urban locations and operates as a one-stop destination offering sales, service and spare parts facilities under one roof.

Retail network

Maruti Suzuki sells its passenger vehicles (PVs) through two channels -- Arena and Nexa. The Arena network comprises over 3,400 outlets across nearly 2,900 cities. Nexa, positioned as the premium retail channel, operates more than 740 outlets across over 530 cities.

The first Nexa outlet was inaugurated in 2015. Since inception, cumulative sales through Nexa have reached nearly 35.49 lakh units.

Models sold through Nexa include the Ignis, Baleno, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Jimny, XL6, Invicto and the newly introduced e Vitara electric SUV. Arena models include the Alto K10, S-Presso, Celerio, WagonR, Eeco, Swift, Dzire, Ertiga, Brezza and Victoris.

Expansion plan

During a select media briefing, Maruti Suzuki's Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, Partho Banerjee, said: "We are aiming to reach 600-700 Nexa Studio outlets by FY31."

He also detailed the expected rise in contribution from the format. "8-10% of Maruti Suzuki's overall domestic sales are from Nexa Studio outlets at present. By FY31, the contribution is expected to reach 25-30%," he added.

EV push

Banerjee highlighted that electric vehicle (EV) demand is expanding beyond metropolitan centres. "10% of the passenger EV sales in the industry are coming from emerging markets," he said.

The company's Nexa expansion aligns with the rollout of the e Vitara. The electric SUV is priced between Rs 10.99 lakh and Rs 14.29 lakh (excluding battery rental cost) under the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) option. With the battery included, prices range from Rs 15.99 lakh to Rs 19.79 lakh (ex-showroom).

"On average, we are getting 2,000-2,500 enquiries per day for the e Vitara. We believe that it is very important for us to give a test drive experience to the customers who are making enquiries," Banerjee noted.

"We have dispatched one test drive vehicle (e Vitara) to each of our Nexa outlets. However, one unit is not enough, given such a strong demand. Our channel partners are requesting us for more test drive vehicles," he added.

Production update

The e Vitara is currently manufactured at Maruti Suzuki's Hansalpur plant in Gujarat. The 640-acre facility operates three production lines with a combined annual capacity of 7,50,000 units and produces models such as the Baleno, Swift and Fronx. There is no dedicated EV line at present.

The electric SUV is being produced on the third line, which has an annual capacity of 1,00,000 units and is shared with the Fronx, a model that continues to see strong demand.

Maruti Suzuki had earlier announced plans to set up a dedicated EV production line at Hansalpur with an annual capacity of 2,50,000 units. The new line involves an investment of Rs 3,200 crore and is nearing completion. It is expected to become operational in early FY27.

Since the company must also cater to demand from Toyota Kirloskar Motor for the Urban Cruiser Ebella, the badge-engineered version of the e Vitara, along with export requirements, Banerjee said monthly production of the e Vitara will be around 2,000 units until July 2026.