Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has opened the new fiscal year on a strong note, taking off from where it left in FY2016-17 when it crossed the 1.5 million sales landmark for the first time ever.

In April 2017, the company has reported total domestic sales of 144,081 units (+23%) compared to 117,045 in April 2016. Growth has returned to its the entry level, bread-and-butter duo of the Alto and Wagon R, which sold 38,897 units, up 21.9 percent (April 2016: 31,906). Sales of the six compact cars comprising the Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire posted robust 39 percent growth at 63,584 units (April 2016: 45,700). Maruti will officially launch the new, third-generation Dzire on May 18 in a bid to accelerate slowing sales of the compact sedan.

The Ciaz premium sedan, which is now sold only from the premium Nexa channel, went home to 7,024 buyers, up 23 percent (April 2016: 5,702). The two vans – Omni and Eeco – sold 13,938 units, down 28.6 percent (April 2016: 14,520). The sales decline in the vans is the only blemish for Maruti amongst its vehicle categories.

The company continue to post high sales in the UV segment, thanks to surging sales of the Vitara Brezza. Its total UV sales (Gypsy, Ertiga, S-Cross, Vitara Brezza) rose 28.6 percent YoY to 20,638 units (April 2016: 16,044).

And, Maruti’s Super Carry, its entry model into the LCV segment, sold a total of 411 units in April 2017.

On the export front though, Maruti has seen a sharp 29 percent decline. The company shipped a total of 6,273 vehicles in April 2017, compared to 9,524 units in April 2016.