Maruti Suzuki India Limited announced that its Smart Hybrid vehicles, the Ciaz SHVS and the Ertiga SHVS, have crossed cumulative sales of 100,000 units in February.

In an effort to make technologies like Smart Hybrid create a significant positive impact, Maruti Suzuki made them available to a larger portion of its customers when it introduced India’s first Smart Hybrid Vehicle, Ciaz SHVS, on Sept 1, 2015. It subsequently introduced the technology in Ertiga Diesel in Oct 2015.

Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) is a technology that uses an integrated starter generator (ISG) and an advanced high capacity battery to supplement the engine’s power. SHVS technology makes it more efficient than the conventional set-up and saves energy while decelerating/braking.

The company's Ciaz and Ertiga Smart Hybrids participate in Government of India’s FAME India scheme, which aims to promote Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India.

“As we move towards hybrid and electric cars, we see this as a first important step in this space,” said R. S. Kalsi, Executive Director, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki, in a release about the announcement. “Both Ciaz SHVS and Ertiga SHVS are high on fuel efficiency, come with reduced running costs and lower levels of CO₂ emission, thus making these popular among customers. The response we have received for SHVS-equipped Ciaz and Ertiga encourages us to continue to invest in new technologies that support the environment while benefitting the customer.”

According to a release from the company, Ciaz SHVS, with a certified fuel efficiency of 28.09 km/l, tops the mileage chart in India. Ertiga SHVS, with 24.52 km/l, has set new benchmarks in fuel efficiency in its category. The company claims both vehicles are market leaders in their respective segments. SHVS-equipped vehicles account for more than 60% of volume of the two models.