Maruti Suzuki has unveiled a metaverse rendition of NEXA, its premium brand of vehicles, with its new mid-sized sport utility vehicle Grand Vitara. The company expects to make significant investments into its NEXAverse initiative, but is not the first automaker in India to have taken the virtual route for selling cars.

What is NEXAverse?

NEXAverse is an online 3D version of Maruti Suzuki’s NEXA line of car showrooms, where users will be able to shop for vehicles starting with the Grand Vitara in an immersive way. The NEXAverse allows users to select an online avatar, which will be able to walk through the virtual showroom and conduct activities there in an interactive manner.

Why has Maruti Suzuki launched NEXAverse?

The company is putting its weight behind the NEXAverse given the preference of the younger audiences to shop virtually. The company said it would invest 10-15% of its innovation budget — around Rs 6-8 crore — on the NEXAverse.

Which other automakers are entering the metaverse space?

Global car brands such as MG Motor and Volvo also have unveiled their metaverse equivalents — MGverse and VolvoVerse, respectively. Carmakers are also leveraging metaverse technologies to enhance their manufacturing processes. German automaker BMW has partnered with Nvidia while South Korean giant Hyundai has partnered with Unity — to build virtually accessible 3D digital twins of their factories — with an aim to allow employees to collaboratively assess modifications and adjustments to production lines in the early planning stages.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/maruti-suzuki-nexa-metaverse-explained-8049975/

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