Maruti Suzuki Working on Sub-₹10 Lakh Electric Car for India – Could Take on Tiago EV, Punch EV

Maruti Suzuki appears to be preparing for a much bigger push into India’s mass-market electric vehicle segment. After entering the passenger EV space with the e Vitara, the country’s largest carmaker is reportedly developing a significantly more affordable battery-electric vehicle that could be positioned around or below the ₹10 lakh mark.

According to a recent report, the upcoming Maruti Suzuki EV could arrive within the next two years and may be priced in the region of approximately ₹8.5 lakh to ₹10.5 lakh, ex-showroom, depending on the final battery specification and localisation level.

If the project reaches production at this price, it could become one of Maruti Suzuki’s most important launches of the decade, taking the company directly into a segment currently occupied by models such as the Tata Tiago.ev, Tata Punch.ev and MG Comet EV.

Maruti Suzuki is reportedly developing a mass-market electric car priced around ₹8.5 lakh to ₹10.5 lakh with an expected range of 250-315 km.

New Dedicated Electric Platform Expected

Unlike an electric conversion of an existing Maruti hatchback, the upcoming affordable EV is reportedly being developed on a dedicated electric vehicle architecture.

This could allow engineers to optimise the vehicle specifically around the battery pack, motor and cabin packaging rather than accommodating components originally designed for a petrol-powered vehicle.

The car is also expected to be manufactured in India, potentially at Suzuki Motor Gujarat’s Hansalpur facility, which is already playing an important role in Maruti Suzuki’s global electric vehicle strategy.

India could therefore become both the manufacturing and export base for the upcoming model.

Target Price Could Be Around ₹8.5 Lakh to ₹10.5 Lakh

Affordability is expected to be the biggest focus of the new EV.

Reports indicate that extensive localisation along with a relatively compact battery pack could help Maruti Suzuki target an estimated ex-showroom price band of around:

Parameter	Expected Details
Expected Price	₹8.5 lakh – ₹10.5 lakh
Positioning	Mass-market compact EV
Platform	Dedicated EV architecture
Manufacturing	Expected in India
Possible Launch	Within around 2 years
Expected Range	Around 250-315 km
Likely Network	Arena, although not confirmed

These specifications and prices remain unofficial at this stage.

Rather than chasing the 400-500 km range offered by larger electric SUVs, Maruti Suzuki could position the car primarily for city and suburban buyers.

A smaller battery would also help reduce one of the biggest contributors to EV cost.

Around 250-315 km Range Possible

The affordable Maruti EV could offer a claimed driving range broadly comparable with entry-level electric cars such as the Tata Tiago.ev.

A range of roughly 250 km to slightly over 300 km could make the vehicle suitable for daily commuting while allowing Maruti Suzuki to keep battery costs under control.

For most urban users covering 30-50 km per day, this could potentially mean charging the vehicle only a few times each week.

Maruti Suzuki's approach therefore appears to be centred on practicality and ownership cost rather than headline range figures.

Could Be Sold Through Maruti Arena

Another interesting possibility is that the upcoming EV could be retailed through Maruti Suzuki’s Arena dealership network rather than NEXA.

The company's first EV, the e Vitara, sits in a considerably higher segment and is retailed through NEXA.

An affordable EV sold through Arena would give Maruti Suzuki access to its mainstream customer base, including buyers currently considering cars such as the WagonR, Swift and other compact models.

However, Maruti Suzuki has not officially confirmed the sales channel for the upcoming model.

Maruti's EV Strategy Is Moving Downmarket

Maruti Suzuki began its electric journey in India with the e Vitara.

The electric SUV is offered with 49kWh and 61kWh battery packs and has a claimed driving range of up to 543 km. Maruti also introduced a Battery-as-a-Service ownership plan that allowed the e Vitara to be offered at an introductory vehicle price starting from ₹10.99 lakh, with battery usage charged separately.

The upcoming smaller EV would serve a very different purpose.

Instead of competing primarily with electric SUVs, Maruti Suzuki would be attempting to bring EV ownership closer to conventional hatchback buyers.

That is arguably where the biggest long-term volume opportunity exists.

Maruti Suzuki Affordable EV – Expected Rivals

The sub-₹10 lakh electric car market is likely to become substantially more competitive over the next few years.

Maruti's upcoming EV could potentially compete with:

Tata Tiago.ev

The Tiago.ev remains one of India's most accessible conventional five-door electric hatchbacks and gives Tata an established presence in the entry EV market.

Tata Punch.ev

The Punch.ev brings SUV-inspired styling and higher ground clearance while remaining relatively accessible compared with larger electric SUVs.

MG Comet EV

MG's compact city EV targets customers primarily looking for inexpensive urban mobility.

Hyundai Upcoming Small Electric SUV

Hyundai has also confirmed plans for an all-new India-focused electric SUV as part of its upcoming product offensive.

Hyundai Motor Company's latest roadmap specifically mentions an all-new A-segment electric SUV for India. The company has also indicated that its upcoming Indian electric vehicle will use significant localisation, helping control production costs.

That means the affordable EV segment could eventually see Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, MG and Hyundai fighting for the same entry-level electric car buyer.

Why a Sub-₹10 Lakh Maruti EV Could Be Significant

The biggest obstacle to mass adoption of electric passenger cars in India continues to be purchase price.

Running costs are already significantly lower than comparable petrol cars in many usage scenarios, but the initial price premium remains difficult for many buyers to justify.

Maruti Suzuki's traditional strength has been delivering affordable vehicles supported by a large sales and service ecosystem.

If the company can combine those advantages with a competitively priced electric vehicle, it could considerably expand the addressable EV market.

The timing is also increasingly favourable.

Electric passenger vehicle registrations in India reached approximately 30,325 units in August 2026, up around 50% year-on-year, while EVs accounted for roughly 7.4% of passenger vehicle registrations during the month.

Maruti Suzuki itself registered around 1,391 electric passenger vehicles during August, giving it approximately 4.6% share of the EV passenger vehicle market during the month.

A genuinely affordable model could dramatically increase those volumes.

Charging Infrastructure Remains Important

Maruti Suzuki's management has previously indicated that smaller electric cars would become more viable as India's charging ecosystem expands.

The company has consequently been working on charging and service infrastructure alongside its EV launches.

With the e Vitara, Maruti Suzuki highlighted more than 1,500 EV-ready service centres as well as an integrated public charging ecosystem accessible through its “e for me” platform.

Building this ecosystem before launching a higher-volume compact EV could prove critical, especially since mass-market buyers are likely to have a lower tolerance for charging inconvenience than early EV adopters.

Could Toyota Also Get a Version?

There is also speculation that Toyota could eventually receive a version of the upcoming affordable EV under the broader Suzuki-Toyota product partnership.

However, there is currently no official confirmation of such a Toyota derivative.

The possibility should therefore be treated as speculation until either manufacturer confirms the product.

Auto Punditz Take

A sub-₹10 lakh electric vehicle from Maruti Suzuki could potentially be far more important for India's EV transition than another premium electric SUV.

India's passenger EV market has grown rapidly, but much of the expansion has happened in relatively expensive segments. The true mass-market opportunity starts when electric cars begin competing directly with conventional hatchbacks and compact SUVs on purchase price.

Maruti Suzuki has three major advantages here — scale, supplier localisation and an exceptionally wide retail and service network.

The challenge will be delivering the correct balance of price, battery size, range, charging speed and safety.

A ₹9-10 lakh electric Maruti offering around 250-300 km of practical range could become an attractive second car for urban households initially. But if charging infrastructure improves sufficiently, the same formula could eventually turn EVs into realistic primary cars for mainstream Indian buyers.

For now, the affordable Maruti EV remains under development and its production specifications have not been officially announced. But if Maruti Suzuki manages to deliver the expected pricing, India's entry-level electric car battle could become significantly more interesting over the next two years.