Maruti Suzuki Says Japan Hybrid Kits Take 4-5 Months, Cutting Hybrid Share to 7%

Maruti Suzuki India said strong hybrid kits imported from Japan carry a lead time of four to five months, limiting how quickly it can raise output of hybrid variants. Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, gave the figure during the company's October sales briefing, Autocar Professional reported. Maruti builds the Victoris and Grand Vitara with petrol, CNG and strong hybrid powertrains.

Banerjee Explains the Hybrid Supply Gap

Banerjee said petrol-powered SUV output can be increased more quickly, while strong hybrid variants depend on imported kits. "For hybrid, we have to wait because the kit comes from Japan," he said at the briefing on Sunday. He added: "So there is a lead period of almost 4 to 5 months. So if you increase the other volume, obviously percentage-wise it will come down."

Maruti sold approximately 17,000 Victoris and 11,000 Grand Vitara SUVs in October, figures that cover all powertrain options rather than hybrids alone. The Victoris, launched in September 2025, is sold through the Arena dealership network, while the Grand Vitara is retailed through Nexa.

An analysis of VAHAN registration data published by ElecTree found combined strong hybrid registrations for the two models rose about 15% to 13,172 units in January-September 2026, from 11,439 units a year earlier. Combined registrations across all powertrain variants more than doubled to approximately 1.77 lakh units over the same period, leaving strong hybrids at around 7% of the total, compared with nearly 15% a year earlier. The data does not establish how much of the shift came from supply constraints rather than pricing or customer preferences.

Banerjee also said strong hybrids are taxed at the same GST level as comparable naturally aspirated petrol vehicles, while battery-electric vehicles benefit from a separate lower rate. Maruti's domestic SUV sales rose 68.2% year-on-year in the July-September quarter, and total vehicle sales reached 6.97 lakh units, up 26.5%. The company ended September with approximately two lakh pending bookings and 17 days of dealer inventory.

Record October Dispatches and Rising Output

Maruti reported record total dispatches of 2.76 lakh vehicles in October, up approximately 25% year-on-year. Pending bookings stood at around 2.45 lakh units at the end of the month, and dealer inventory had declined to 12 days.

Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer for Corporate Affairs, said average daily output rose from approximately 9,100 units in Q1 FY27 to 9,600 units in Q2 and 10,100 units in October. The company has not disclosed how many hybrid kits it receives from Japan each month or when it expects component availability to improve.

Earlier Maruti Suzuki Expansion Moves

On October 30, OPmobility opened its sixth India plant in Kharkhoda, Haryana, with Maruti Suzuki to manufacture energy storage systems, The Times of India reported. The facility is expected to reach an annual capacity of one million fuel tanks by 2031.

On October 28, Maruti Suzuki said it plans to launch seven new SUVs and five electric vehicles by 2031, including a Fronx hybrid and an electric MPV codenamed YMC, Business & Financial reported. Domestic wholesale passenger vehicle sales rose nearly 14% to about 5.25 lakh units in October, with Maruti among the companies leading growth, Fortune India reported on November 1.