Maruti Suzuki March sales up 3% at 1.26 lakh units
Maruti Suzuki reported a lower-than-expected sales growth of 3.3% year-on-year in March as strong demand for its Swift and DZire cars was offset by a decline in sales across its mini, van and mid-size segments.
April 02, 2012 / 13:20 IST
Moneycontrol Bureau
Maruti Suzuki reported a lower-than-expected sales growth of 3.3% year-on-year in March as strong demand for its Swift and DZire cars was offset by a decline in sales across its mini, van and mid-size segments.In March, the India's largest passenger car maker sold 1,25,952 units, compared with a CNBC-TV18 poll of 1.32 lakh unit sales.Its domestic sales were up 2.1% from a year ago at 1,12,724 units and exports jumped near 15% to 13,228 units during the month.Maruti's compact car sales surged near 24% from a year ago to 27,913 units, led by continued strong demand for its Swift hatchback. Sales of its super-compact DZire accelerated 60% to 16,451 units. Maruti Suzuki had launched a new compact version of its in demand Swift DZire sedan in February.The company's utility vehicle sales more than doubled 1,530 units. However, sales across other segments slipped in March, as customers continued to shun petrol powered vehicles as fuel price is already high and there is a likelihood of another round of petrol price hike.Maruti's sales of mini cars -- 800, A-Star, Wagon R and Alto -- were down 10%, mid-size SX4 sales tumbled 58% and executive Kizashi sales fell 53% last month.For the full year 2011-12, Maruti Suzuki sold 11,33,695 units including domestic and export sales, down 11% year-on-year, reflecting the overall slowdown in the passenger vehicle segment.Maruti Suzuki shares were down 0.4% at Rs 1,345 in morning trade on NSE.Also Read: M&M, Tata Motors rise on strong sales in March Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
