Maruti claims over 48% market share as new models do well

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) inched closer to controlling half of the domestic passenger vehicle market as it grabbed over 48 per cent share in April, driven by sales of premium models such as the Vitara Brezza, Baleno, Ciaz and S-Cross.

The country's largest carmaker, which closed last fiscal with a seven-year high market share of 46.8 per cent, saw its four models accounting for over 25 per cent share of the company's total domestic sales in April.

"Our growth from new models has been 17 per cent more than what we received with new models in same period last year," MSI executive director, marketing & sales, R S Kalsi told PTI.

The new premium offerings, Ciaz, Baleno, Vitara Brezza and S Cross have been the primary growth drivers, he added.

The company's entry into new segments has brought in additional sales volume with the leading four sellers from the company's stable – the Alto, DZire, Swift and WagonR - continuing to hold top positions, Kalsi said.

Last month, the four premium models - Vitara Brezza, Baleno, Ciaz and S-Cross - sold 25,603 units accounting for 25.42 per cent share in the company's total domestic sales of 1,00,709 units.

In April, the company's utility vehicle sales including models like, Gypsy, Ertiga, S-Cross, Vitara Brezza surged 260 per cent to 16,044 units compared with 4,452 a year ago.

The compact sedan segment sales grew 8 per cent last month to 45,700 units mainly driven by Baleno, which outpaced rival Hyundai's i20 by selling 9,562 units.

While the mid-segment sedan Ciaz sold 5,702 units in April, just 91 units short of segment leader Honda City.

"The sales growth of 16.2 per cent in April and market share of over 48 per cent in the domestic passenger segment is in line with our overall target of achieving double-digit growth in the current fiscal," Kalsi said.

"Bookings for Vitara Brezza have crossed 55,000 mark while Baleno continues to excel in its segment," he said adding that the S-Cross sales continue to be in the region of 2,500 units a month.

In comparison, sales of the mini segment cars like Alto and WagonR declined 9.9 per cent to 31,906 units in April compared with 35,403 units in year ago period.

The company had sold a total of 1,17,045 units in domestic market last month, up 16.2 per cent from 1,00,709 units in the year ago period.

For the 2015-16 fiscal, MSI had posted its best-ever annual sales of 14,29,248 units, a growth of 10.6 per cent.

This comprised highest ever domestic sales of 13,05,351 units and 1,23,897 units of exports.