Maruti Suzuki sales up 61 per cent in August

India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, posted a 61.24 per cent jump in total sales in August, selling 87,323 units against 54,154 units in the same month last year.

A lockout at the company's Manesar plant hit production last August after labour violence in which one executive was killed.

According to Maruti, its domestic sales rose by 51.6 per cent during the month to 76,018 units against 50,129 units in August last year.

Sales of mini segment cars, including M800, Alto, A-Star and WagonR, was up 45.1 per cent to 32,019 units, as against 22,062 units in the year-ago month.

The company's sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz rose over two fold to 17,409 units in August this year as against 6,059 units last year.

According to the carmaker, sales of its popular compact sedan Dzire shot up over four fold during the month under review at 13,723 units as against 3,085 units in August 2012.

Sales of Maruti's mid-sized sedan SX4 were down 22.1 per cent to 348 units against last year's 447 units in the same month. The month did not register  any sale of premium sedan Kizashi.

Utility vehicle sales, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara and Ertiga, were down at 4,563 units in August this year, in a 33.7 per cent decline from the 6,883 units in the corresponding month last year.

Exports during August shot up

nearly three fold to 11,305 units as against 4,025 units in the same month last year.