Passenger vehicle market leader Maruti Suzuki India has reported improved numbers in June compared to May. It has posted total sales of 51,274 units in the domestic market in June 2020. On a year-on-year basis, the June sales numbers are down 54 percent compared to June 2019 when the car maker clocked sales of 111,014 units.

Maruti Suzuki also supplied 839 units to Toyota Kirloskar Motor (other OEM) to which it supplies the rebadged Balenp, the Toyota Glanza. In addition, the company exported 4,289 units in June 2020. 

In May, which was a truncated month, the carmaker had reported total sales (domestic and export) of 18,539 units (including 13,865 units in the domestic market and sale of 23 units to Toyota Kirloskar Motor. 

The company closed the first quarter of FY2021 with total sales of 64,976 units. The Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown to contain it and restrictions required for safety impacted the sales in this quarter. Q1 FY2021 sales are down 82 percent year on year (Q1 FY2020: 363,417 units).

Maruti Suzuki India resumed its manufacturing operations from May 12 at its Manesar plant and from May 18 at the Gurgaon plant, in accordance with the government regulations and guidelines. Production also resumed at Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG) from May 25. SMG manufactures cars (the Toyota Glanza) on a contract basis for Maruti Suzuki.

The carmaker is currently gearing to reintroduce its premium offering, the S-cross in a BS6-compliant petrol-only avatar. The carmaker recently also announced that it was to start supplying the Vitara Brezza to Toyota under the Toyota-Suzuki alliance. The Toyota-badged model is expected to be launched in August this year with the SUV likely to be called the Urban Cruiser.