Maruti domestic sales down 4.3% in March 2013

New Delhi, April 2, 2013: Maruti Suzuki India, the bellwether of the Indian automobile industry, has announced its March 2013 sales numbers. Clearly indicative of the downturn in the market, the country’s largest carmaker sold a total of 107,890 units in March 2013, down 4.3 percent from the 112,724 units sold in March 2012. Its entry level pack (800, Alto, A-star, Wagon R) sold 45,047 units, down 14.7 percent over the 52,826 units sold in March 2012. Sales of the trio of Swift, Estilo, Ritz were also down by 7.3 percent: 25,868 units in March 2013 compared to 27,913 a year ago. The SX4, which is fast falling out of favour with consumers, sold 903 units, down 40.6 percent (March 2012: 1,520).

However, Maruti has two huge winners in its Dzire saloon and Ertiga MPV. The Dzire sold 20,078 units in March 2013, notching 22 percent growth (March 2012: 16,451). And the Ertiga sold the bulk of the 6,488 units in its category (along with the Gypsy and Grand Vitara). Maruti is believed to be working on a CNG-powered Ertiga, which is slated for launch in a couple of months. For the entire fiscal year 2012-13, Maruti sold 1,051,046 units in the domestic market (April 2011-March 2012: 1,00,6316), a growth of 4.4 percent. All said and done, the carmaker will be hard-pressed to deliver consistently improving sales numbers in the new fiscal. Along with a dampened market sentiment, high interest rates and fuel prices that are delaying new car purchases, Maruti has to contend with aggressive new rivals in the market. The immediate threat will come from the soon-to-be-launched Honda Amaze, which has already sold 2,552 units (to dealers) in March 2013.