India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has made six airbags standard across all variants of its popular models, the Ertiga and Baleno, effective July 16, 2025. The safety upgrade has led to a price hike for both models, the company said in a regulatory filing.
The Ertiga will now see an average ex-showroom price increase of 1.4%, while the Baleno will get costlier by 0.5%.
This decision follows the government’s push for improved safety features in passenger vehicles under the M1 category, with Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari consistently urging automakers to make six airbags mandatory. Driver and co-driver airbags were made compulsory in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
The update also comes at a time when Maruti Suzuki is facing sales pressure. The company reported a 6% year-on-year drop in total sales for June 2025, selling 1.68 lakh units compared to 1.79 lakh units a year ago. Domestic passenger vehicle sales declined by 13%, falling to 1.19 lakh units in the same period.
By enhancing the safety package on two of its top-selling models, Maruti Suzuki aims to stay ahead of regulatory mandates while addressing consumer demand for safer vehicles.
