Maruti Suzuki’s Car Sales Slide 33% In August
Sales of Maruti Suzuki cars fell across segments, except utility vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.’s car sales stood at 1,06,413 units in August, a 32.70 percent decline from the year-ago period, India’s largest carmaker said in a statement on Sunday.
Domestic sales declined 34.3 percent at 97,061 units in August as against 1,47,700 units a year earlier. The company’s exports in August were down 10.8 percent at 9,352 units as against 10,489 units in the corresponding month last year.
Sales of small cars, comprising Alto and WagonR, stood at 10,123 units as compared to 35,895 units a year earlier, indicating a 71.8 percent decline.
Sales of compact cars, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, fell 23.9 percent at 54,274 units as against 71,364 cars in August 2018. As many as 1,596 Ciaz sedans were sold last month, a 77.20 percent drop from the 7,002 units sold in the same month last year.
But sales of utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga, rose 3.1 percent to 18,522 units as compared to 17,971 in the year-ago month, Maruti Suzuki said.
Maruti Suzuki had in August relaunched the Ertiga with a petrol engine compliant with Bharat Stage VI emission norms. It also launched the XL-6 MPV, based on the Ertiga, which will retail at the company’s Nexa showrooms. On Aug. 23, Maruti Suzuki said it is recalling 40,618 units of the one-litre WagonR to rectify issues with the fuel hose.