Market leader Maruti Suzuki India Ltd today announced a 24-per cent jump in sales for October to a record 121,063 units over last year, driven by new launches and the start of the festive season. The volumes were led by robust growth in compact car models, including Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Dzire and the recently launched Baleno. Combined sales of these models went up 37.7 per cent to 51,048 units over a year ago. The company has received bookings for close to 10,000 units of Baleno, said the company spokesperson. The spokesperson also attributed the strong sales during the month to higher despatches to dealerships ahead of Diwali. On the back of an aggressive sales push by the company during the festivals of Navratra and Dussehra, sales of entry-level models, including the Wagon R and Alto, too increased 5.2 per cent to 37,595 units over a year ago. Domestic sales of utility vehicles also increased 56.5 per cent to 9,435 units. These included the Gypsy, Grand Vitara and Ertiga models. Sales of mid-size sedans, including the SX4 and the recently launched S-Cross models, however dropped 7.2 per cent to 5,890 units over last year, following tepid response to the S-Cross. Albeit on a low base, exports during the month jumped 90 per cent to 13,146 units as the company was able to resolve shipment-related issues, said the spokesperson. Car sales have been buoyed by new models and the festive season which started with Ganesh Chaturthi on 17 September. Benign fuel prices coupled with an interest cut also helped sentiment. Source: domain-b.com, Image: flickr.com
