Maruti posts record sales in Sept as festive season begins

New Delhi: Led by record monthly domestic sales from Maruti Suzuki India, automobile manufacturers ushered in the festive season with robust sales in September.

While the country’s largest car maker posted 29.4 per cent increase in its domestic passenger vehicle sales in September, others including Mahindra & Mahindra, Ford India and Toyota Kirloskar Motor posted high single digit growth rates.

MSI’s domestic sales were at 1,37,321 units as against 1,06,083 units in the same month last year. This was the company’s best ever monthly sales beating the previous best of 1,25,778 in July this year.

“The numbers are reflection of popularity, appreciation and acceptance of our range of models. Ciaz, Baleno, Vitara Brezza, S Cross continue to show good numbers and with customers support, they have emerged segment leaders,” MSI Executive Director Marketing & Sales R S Kalsi said.

He further said: “We remain committed to achieve double digit growth for the fiscal.”

The company’s sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR models, were at 44,395 during the month as against 35,570 units in the year-ago period, up 24.8 per cent.

The compact segment comprising Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Baleno and Dzire models clocked sales of 50,324 units compared with 44,826 in September last year, up 12.3 per cent.

Utility vehicles consisting of Gypsy, S-Cross, Vitara Brezza and Ertiga saw sales of 18,423 units as against 6,331 in September last year, a jump of 191 per cent, MSI added.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported 6 per cent increase in domestic sales at 12,067 units in September as against 11,376 units in the same month last year.

“The recently launched Innova Crysta has received an overwhelming response from the market, including Delhi and NCR region,” TKM Director and Senior VP, Sales & Marketing N Raja said, adding the lifting of the ban on diesel cars and SUVs with engine capacity of 2,000 cc and above has resulted in a waiting period of of 1.5 to 2 months for diesel Innova Crysta in Delhi.

Ford India said its domestic sales rose 9 per cent to 9,018 units last month as against 8,274 units in the same period a year ago.

“Good monsoons, the Seventh Pay Commission and reasonable inflation are helping drive the Indian automotive industry,” said Anurag Mehrotra, executive director, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford India.