Slowdown Blues: Maruti Suzuki sales fall 17.2% in April

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday reported 17.2 per cent decline in total sales for the month of April 2019. The total sales volume stood at 1,43,245 units in April 2019. The company had sold 1,72,986 units in April last year, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

Domestic sales of Maruti took a heavy hit in April 2019. The total domestic sales of Maruti Suzuki declined by 18.7 per cent at 1,34,068 units in April 2019 as against 1,64,978 units in the April 2018, it added. However Maruti's exports saw an increase of 1,169 units marking a growth of 14.6 per cent over April 2018.

Combined sales of mini and compact car segment was worst hit as it recorded a fall of over 40 per cent in sales when compared with April 2018 numbers. Sales of mini cars comprising of Alto and old WagonR (now discontinued) were at 22,766 units as compared to 37,794 units in April last year.

Sales of compact segment, including models such as New WagonR, Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were down 13.9 per cent at 72,146 units as against 83,834 units in April last year, the company said.

Ciaz recorded a steep fall of 45.5 per cent. Mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold only 2,789 units as compared to 5,116 units in the same month a year ago. . In the full fiscal 46,169 units of ciaz were sold.

The total exports by Maruti Suzuki increased by 14.6 per cent in April 2019. In April 2019, Maruti Suzuki exported 9,177 units as compared to 8,008 units in April 2018.

Sales numbers are expected to fall in the next year as well, as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) has said that it will stop selling diesel cars in its portfolio--all seven of them, from April 1, 2020, when the new BS VI fuel economy norms kick in, which will make diesel vehicles significantly more expensive.

"We will stop selling all our diesel cars from April next year as the new fuel economy norms will make diesel cars significantly more expensive. Especially, for small cars with the engine size of less than 1.5 litres, the price will become unviable for customers," said R C Bhargava, Chairman, MSIL.

(With PTI inputs)

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