Maruti CNG: Amidst rising fuel prices in India, the demand for CNG cars is continuously increasing and the country’s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki seems to be getting the biggest benefit from it. For information, let us tell you that the company has set a big target for the financial year 2026-27. In which Maruti hopes that this year its CNG car sales can reach 9 lakh units, which will be about 30 percent more than last year. At the same time, the company is now rapidly expanding the scope of CNG not only in small cars but also in the SUV segment.
Petrol and diesel become expensive, CNG becomes the first choice of customers
Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India, has said that in the first quarter of FY27 i.e. April-June, the company sold 2.2 lakh CNG cars, which is a spectacular increase of 58 percent compared to the same period last year.
The company says that due to the ongoing tension and war in West Asia, the prices of petrol and diesel have increased. In such a situation, customers are giving preference to CNG cars which give more mileage at lower cost. Currently, Maruti Suzuki is selling 15 CNG models in the Indian market which include small hatchbacks to light commercial vehicles. In the last financial year, the company sold more than 7 lakh CNG vehicles and in June 2026, the share of CNG vehicles in its total sales was 42 percent.
Now SUV buyers are also moving towards CNG.
Until a few years ago, CNG demand was primarily limited to small cars and MPVs, but that’s changing. Partho Banerjee added that more than 50 percent of Victoris SUV sales are models with underbody CNG tanks. Following this trend, the company has also introduced the underbody CNG tank option on the new Brezza Facelift, ensuring boot space is unaffected and allowing customers to accommodate more luggage.
Also read: Bought a new car? Avoid these 8 mistakes in the first 1000 km, as they could damage both the engine and mileage.
The SUV segment also has a big target, with plans to sell 7 lakh units.
Maruti Suzuki aims to increase SUV sales by 25 to 30 percent to 700,000 units in FY27. Last year, the company sold around 550,000 SUVs. However, for now, its portfolio includes several popular models like the Brezza, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Ertiga, Invicto, Jimny, XL6, e Vitara, and Victorias.
According to company data, SUVs accounted for 12% of total sales in FY23, rising to 30% by the first quarter of FY27. During the same period, the company’s total vehicle sales stood at 682,724 units, while SUV and utility vehicle sales increased to 218,885 units. This indicates that demand for both CNG and SUVs may strengthen in the Indian auto market in the future.