Regarded as the sturdy car brand that the big Indian family trusts, Maruti Suzuki India now aims to make its way into the hearts of Gen Z with the ‘Run On What You Love’ campaign. Adding another layer of appeal to this new group of potential consumers, Maruti Suzuki has adopted the S-CNG technology in its new cars to be a more environmentally responsible brand.
Ahead of the launch of this new campaign, MSIL’s senior executive officer, marketing and sales, Partho Banerjee said the new-age buyer is not only making very conscious sustainable choices but also believes in living life to the fullest. The new campaign is a reflection of this buyer, and how well Maruti Suzuki cars fit into their world view where they don't compromise on having fun and exploring the world.
“CNG has always been a very important offering in our portfolio ever since we pioneered it in India in 2010. Last year, every fourth car sold from the Maruti stable was a CNG variant. This year, it has increased to every third car which is a phenomenal jump of 25%,” said Banerjee.
A total of 1.8 million customers have bought cars with S-CNG technology in the last decade and a half, he informed.
CNG vehicles, he believes, are about enjoying the journey, embracing adventures, and pursuing passions while also being sustainable. “Through this campaign, we aim to inspire a new generation of drivers to explore the endless possibilities that S-CNG vehicles offer,” Banerjee added.
MSIL’s take on the CNG campaign is more about being aspirational. The new campaign features a young couple traversing through difficult terrain and an architect taking inspiration for his work from nature while driving around. While telling their stories, the product is also shown in its full glory in terms of its performance, safety, comfort and other special features.
“The big USP of a CNG vehicle is the mileage. If you drive 2,000 km per month, the payback period is only two years. A good spread of CNG filling stations - oh which we run 6,500 - in the country is also a reason why a lot more customers are favouring this variant. In fact, the refilling time has come down drastically due to this,” informed Banerjee.
However, he adds, it was not just the fuel economics that led MSIL to look towards this category but also a conscious decision as a socially responsible business. As a market leader in the car market in India with a market share of 42%, the company is technology-agnostic when it comes to fulfilling the market demands. In just two months of the current economic year, MSIL has a market share of 86% in the CNG segment of four-wheeler sales in India; last year it was 74%.
On June 5, on the occasion of World Environment Day, MSIL conducted a ‘Sustainability Drive’ across 1700 cities in all their dealerships and showrooms to talk about the environmental benefits of using CNG vehicles as opposed to those running on fossil fuels. It is also for this commitment to a socially and environmentally responsible product portfolio that the company is working on electric vehicles, which they will be launching by 2030.
