January 3, 2013: Maruti Suzuki India’s December 2012 sales numbers are out. The carmaker’s domestic sales comprised 82,073 units in the month, up 5.9 percent over the 77,475 units sold in December 2011. Sales of the company’s entry-level hatchbacks (800, Alto, A-star and Wagon R) continue to be down; sales fell by 15 percent in December 2012 to 32,797 units (December 2011: 38,593) and they were down in November 2012 too, by 5.8 percent. The SX4 is also fast going out of favour with buyers; last month, sales were down by 61 percent to 329 units (December 2011: 843).

What has driven Maruti’s numbers in December is the 8.9 percent growth in sales of the Swift/Estilo/Ritz at 22,482 units (December 2011:20,653), a 42.3 percent growth in the popular Dzire saloon which sold 13,076 units (December 2011: 9,189), and the launched-in-July-2012 Ertiga people-carrier which, along with small numbers from the Gypsy and Grand Vitara, sold 5,447 units (December 2011: 238).

From the 2012-13 fiscal year (April-November 2012) perspective, Maruti Suzuki has sold a total of 742,175 units, up 8.4 percent (April-November 2011: 684,892).

On the export front, Maruti’s December 2012 sales were down 11 percent to 13,072 units (December 2011: 14,686). And, with total exports between April-December 2012 totalling 85,550 units (April-December 2011: 88,469) declining by 3.3 percent, the company has its task cut out for the rest of the fiscal.