Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) has equipped 140 out of its 147 passenger vehicle (PV) variants with six airbags as a standard feature, setting itself apart from competitors who often offer only two airbags in base trims, said a company top executive.
The country's largest carmaker stated that only six to seven variants, primarily the Espresso and Ignis models, are yet to receive the upgrade. "We've implemented six airbags in 140 variants, covering 97.5% of our portfolio," said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) at Maruti Suzuki India.
Banerjee emphasized that while safety is a key priority for buyers, a 5-star crash test rating isn't the sole deciding factor.
"A 5-star rating is welcome, but it shouldn't be the only benchmark. Many OEMs have 5-star cars, but you can see their volume (low sales). What matters is offering the best you have. Maruti Suzuki is also introducing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) despite no regulatory mandate. Even six airbags aren't compulsory yet, but we've proactively adopted them," Banerjee added.
Talking about electric vehicles (EVs), Banerjee said that customers are still reluctant to have EVs as their primary car. He added that concerns still remain large about public charging infrastructure, especially on highways.
Despite the looming concerns, EVs continue to gain popularity in the domestic market. According to FADA sales data, electric passenger vehicle retail sales grew 93% in July 2025 to 15,528 units when compared to 8,037 units in the year-ago period.
Benerjee said that all vehicular technologies are going to come in the domestic market and it should be left to the consumer to select as per the requirement.
"It is a discretion of the customer based on his need, what he wants that's going to happen. But yes, one technology should not be given more weightage than the other technologies. It should be the customer selecting, actually," he said. Maruti Suzuki is set to introduce its first electric model - e-VITARA this fiscal.
Banerjee also spoke about Nexa sales network completing one decade of operations and how it helped the premiumisation of the company and the overall car market. “In 2011-12, the average vehicle price for the industry (and for us) was around 4 lakhs. When we launched Nexa, we took it to Rs 8 lakhs. Now it is around Rs 15-16 lakhs. This is the upgrade happening in the industry. That is what Nexa has done,” he said.
To commemorate one decade of Nexa, MSIL unveiled the Grand Vitara PHANTOM BLAQ edition. Available exclusively in the Strong Hybrid Alpha+ variant, the PHANTOM BLAQ Edition carries forward the premium all-black interior of the standard Grand Vitara with perforated faux leather upholstery and champagne gold accents.
Grand Vitara comes equipped with the NEXA Safety Shield - a comprehensive suite of advanced safety features.