Maruti Suzuki is expecting the launch of the Invicto — its most priciest model — to have a positive impact on the sales of its cars in the lower segment.

India's No. 1 car maker does not expect much volume from the just launched three-seater MPV, which costs more than Rs 25 lakh.

The size of the MPV market is 3.3 lakh units, with the share of the premium models at 1.17 lakh units.

Shashank Srivastava, senior executive officer of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said: "It is not so much about volumes as it is about building the image as a premium player. We needed to be present in this segment of premium MPVs and get into the space before it gets too crowded. There is also a marketing objective here. Migration to more premium brands affects the sales of lower segment brands."

"It is a perception of the buyers that if the brand is able to make premium products, its lower priced products are of value too. As prices go up, customers want to associate themselves with the brand," Srivastava, who is the sales and marketing head of Maruti, said.

The three-row vehicle category can be divided into sub-segments. There are premium MPVs such as the Kia Carnival and the MG Hector Plus and the three-row SUVs such as the Hyundai Alcazar and the Mahindra XUV 700.

"The market for the three-row vehicle is again divided by the two: those who want a family car will want the MPV, and lifestyle customers would go for the SUVs. So it's a very niched space for the Invicto," Srivastava said.

Maruti expects the share of compact cars to come down to 47 per cent against 57 per cent in 2018-19.

There is a structural change in the market and Maruti's new product launches are reflecting the change in the structure, analysts said.