Maruti Suzuki on a roll, surpasses 1.5m sales in 2016-17

Maruti Suzuki India is striding confidently towards its targeted 2 million sales in 2020. For the just concluded 2016-17 fiscal year, the carmaker has crossed the 1.5 million sales landmark for the first time ever.

In March 2017, the company sold a total of 139,763 units, comprising 127,999 units in the domestic market (+7.&%) and 11,764 units in exports (12.6%). With this, it has ended 2016-17 with its highest ever total sales of 1,568,603 units, a growth of 9.8 percent and includes its highest ever domestic sales of 1,444,541 units. The export sales were 124,062 units, registering flat year-on-year growth of 0.1 percent.

In March, the entry level, bread-and-butter duo of the Alto and Wagon R, sold 30,973 units, down 15.6 percent (March 2016: 36,678). Sales of the six compact cars comprising the Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire posted 29.7 percent growth at 60,699 units  (March 2016: 46,786). The Dzire Tour, which is sold only as a taxi, sold 1,166 units, down 61 percent (March 2016: 3,161). The Ciaz premium sedan, which is now to be sold from the premium Nexa channel, went home to 4,918 buyers, down 10.3 percent (March 2016: 5,480). The two vans – Omni and Eeco – sold 11,628 units, down 9.8 percent (March 2016: 12,896).

Where Maruti is stretching the lead versus its competitors is in the UV segment, thanks to surging sales of the Vitara Brezza. Its total UV sales (Gypsy, Ertiga, S-Cross, Vitara Brezza) rose 31.8 percent YoY to 18,311 units (March 2016: 13,894).

Vitara Brezza and Ertiga power fiscal numbers

UV sales, which have doubled in the past year, have given Maruti the boost in its fiscal numbers. In FY2016-17, as a result of huge consumer demand for the Vitara Brezza – Maruti’s first compact SUV – and also the Ertiga MPV, UV sales jumped 107 percent to 195,741 units (2015-16: 94,416).

The compact cars (Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno, Dzire) were the biggest contributor to domestic sales at 584,850 units, up 7.9 percent YoY (2015-16: 541,951). The Baleno, which has crossed 150,000 sales in the domestic market, clearly is the star performer in this lot.

The premium Ciaz sedan was also a strong performer in the fiscal, going home to 64,448 buyers, up 18.8 percent YoY (2015-16: 54,233). The Ciaz, like the Baleno, has also crossed the 150,000 sales landmark last month.

The two vans – Omni and Eeco – contributed their mite to overall numbers. They sold 152,009 units, up 6 percent YoY (2015-16: 143,471) .

What’s worrying for Maruti is that the Alto and Wagon R are seeing demand waver. The two cars saw sales of 413,981 units, down 4.4 percent (2015-16: 432,977).

And, Maruti’s Super Carry, its entry model into the LCV segment, sold a total of 900 units, indicating that the commercial vehicle sector is yet to show its fondness for a different type of Maruti.

PV sales in India will cross 3 million in FY2017

With Maruti accounting for nearly 1.4 million units, expect overall Indian passenger vehicle sales to cross the 3 million mark for the first time ever.

In FY2015-16, total PV sales were 2,789678 units (7.24%) of which Maruti contributed 1,305,351 units.

Considering Hyundai Motor India will have sold in excess of a half-a-million units in 2016-17 and the fact that a resurgent Tata Motors has announced sale of 153,151 PVs, a growth of 22 percent over 2015-16 sales, are a pointer to the smart growth the overall PV sector will show for the fiscal year 2016-17.

Whether the 3 million sales target will have been achieved will only be known in the coming days when other carmakers reveal their final numbers for FY2016-17. However, from the overall sales trend in March 2017, it looks like the Indian PV sector would have notched this new high.