Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday said it has commenced exports of mid-sized sports utility vehicle Grand Vitara, with the first shipment on its way to Latin America.

The country's leading carmaker and exporter aims to export the model to more than 60 countries across Latin America, Africa, Middle East, ASEAN and neighboring regions.

"Supporting Government's efforts to increase exports from India, Maruti Suzuki has taken multiple initiatives to increase its international presence.

"Expanding the product portfolio for exports has been one of the key pillars of success. By adding Grand Vitara, we now export a range of 17 vehicles," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said in a statement.

Grand Vitara, unveiled in July 2022, has received robust response in the domestic market and the automaker is confident that the India manufactured Grand Vitara will meet with similar success in overseas markets as well, he added.

In 2022, Maruti Suzuki exported over 2.6 lakh vehicles, its highest ever exports in a calendar year.

With the addition of Grand Vitara, the company aims to further strengthen its position as India's leading passenger vehicle exporter, the automaker stated.

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