Maruti's 1 million green vehicle target for FY27 is mostly CNG: where the e Vitara fits

Maruti's 1 million green vehicle target for FY27 is mostly CNG: where the e Vitara fits

Maruti Suzuki's target of close to 10,00,000 green vehicle sales in FY27 has been read as a push into cleaner cars, but on the CNG sales rate Maruti itself quoted on 18 September 2026, electric cars can only be a small slice of it. Maruti counts CNG, strong hybrids and battery-electric cars as green, and it has not said how many of the 10,00,000 will be its only EV, the Maruti e Vitara.

What Maruti Suzuki has confirmed

Maruti launched automatic versions of its S-CNG Swift, Baleno and Dzire on 18 September 2026 under what it calls the Auto Green Mission. The company's release puts first-quarter S-CNG sales 58% above the same quarter a year earlier and records its best CNG month, 83,000 units, in July 2026.

At the launch, Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, said Maruti had raised its FY27 green vehicle expectation from 8,00,000 to 9,00,000 units to close to 10,00,000, driven by the new automatic CNG models. He said CNG makes up about 43% of Maruti's sales, that Maruti holds about 70% of the CNG car market, and that it now sells close to 80,000 CNG cars monthly.

Figures from Maruti Suzuki's Auto Green Mission release and Partho Banerjee's remarks at the launch on 18 September 2026, accessed 22 September 2026. Rows marked our estimate are ThatsMyEV arithmetic on those figures.

Why the CNG maths matters for EV buyers

Maruti's own numbers show where its volume growth is coming from. Twelve months at close to 80,000 CNG cars comes to about 9,60,000 on our arithmetic, which fills almost the entire target before a single hybrid or EV is counted. National EV share has been rising, as our Vahan penetration analysis for January to July 2026 showed, but India's largest carmaker is planning its growth in this financial year around CNG.

For a buyer, the practical question is what that means for the e Vitara. Maruti has not published an FY27 domestic EV target or said how e Vitara production is split between India and exports. If you are cross-shopping it against other electric SUVs, check the full list of electric cars under ₹20 lakh and put the shortlist side by side in the ThatsMyEV comparison tool before signing.

The ThatsMyEV Take

Maruti is doing the rational thing for its own business: selling more of the powertrain it already dominates, and adding the automatic gearbox that was costing it CNG buyers. Calling that a green mission is marketing, and the 10,00,000 figure should be read as a CNG target with an EV rounding error attached.

What decides whether that changes is e-Vitara supply in India, not the headline target. Until Maruti publishes a domestic EV number, its green figure will keep being quoted as EV progress when it is not, and we will track the e Vitara's actual numbers on our EV sales tracker rather than take the label at face value.

What we would tell a buyer on 22 September 2026: if you want a Maruti and drive mostly in a city with good CNG supply, the ₹8.53 lakh Dzire automatic S-CNG is the sensible car and it is honest about what it is. If you want an electric car, judge the e Vitara against its electric rivals on price, range and service, not on Maruti's green branding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Maruti Suzuki's green vehicle target for FY27?

Maruti Suzuki is targeting close to 10,00,000 green vehicle sales in FY27, up from an earlier expectation of 8,00,000 to 9,00,000 units. The company said so at its automatic S-CNG launch on 18 September 2026, and it counts CNG, strong hybrid and electric cars together.

How many electric cars will Maruti sell in FY27?

Maruti has not published an EV figure within its FY27 green vehicle target. On the CNG sales rate Maruti quoted, close to 80,000 units monthly, CNG alone would account for about 9,60,000 units, leaving roughly 40,000 for hybrids and EVs combined on our arithmetic.

Does Maruti count CNG cars as green vehicles?

Yes. Maruti's green vehicle count includes CNG cars alongside strong hybrids and battery-electric cars. CNG makes up about 43% of Maruti's sales on the company's own figures, so it forms the large majority of the green total.

What electric cars does Maruti sell in India?

The e Vitara is Maruti Suzuki's only electric car on sale in India as of 22 September 2026. Maruti has not said how e Vitara production is divided between the Indian market and exports.

What are the prices of the Maruti automatic S-CNG cars?

Maruti priced the automatic S-CNG Swift from ₹7.92 lakh, the Baleno from ₹8.32 lakh and the Dzire from ₹8.53 lakh, all ex-showroom, at launch on 18 September 2026. All three use the 1.2-litre Z12E engine with a five-speed automated manual gearbox.

How many CNG cars does Maruti sell a month?

Maruti says it sells close to 80,000 CNG cars monthly and recorded its best month, 83,000 units, in July 2026. The company also puts first-quarter FY27 CNG sales 58% above the same quarter a year earlier.

Is a CNG car better than an electric car?

A CNG car is cheaper to buy and suits drivers with reliable CNG supply nearby, while an electric car costs less to run per kilometre if you can charge at home. The right choice depends on where the car is parked overnight, which matters more than any green label.

What is Maruti's Auto Green Mission?

Auto Green Mission is the name Maruti Suzuki gave to its 18 September 2026 launch of automatic S-CNG versions of the Swift, Baleno and Dzire. It covers CNG models only and does not include any new electric car.

Sources

Maruti Suzuki India release on the Auto Green Mission and automatic S-CNG Swift, Baleno and Dzire, 18 September 2026, accessed 22 September 2026; remarks by Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, at the launch on 18 September 2026, as carried by the Press Trust of India. The 9,60,000 and 40,000 figures are our arithmetic on Maruti's stated CNG rate.