Maruti sales rise 8.1% in March at 1,39,763 units

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today posted 8.1% rise in total sales in March at 1,39,763 units as against 1,29,345 vehicles in the same month last year.

The company's domestic sales increased 7.7% during the month to 1,27,999 units as against 1,18,895 units in March 2016.

For 2016-17 fiscal, the company posted a 9.8% jump in total sales at 15,68,603 units, against 14,29,248 vehicles in 2015-16.

It turned out to be the company's best ever year in term of sales. Its domestic sales rose 10.7% at 14,44,541 units during the last fiscal as compared to 13,05,351 during the 2015-16 financial year.

In March, sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR, declined 15.6% to 30,973 units from 36,678 units in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement.

The company said sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Dzire, Baleno and Ignis increased 29.7% to 60,699 units in March this year as against 46,786 units in the same month last year.

Sales of compact sedan Dzire Tour declined 63.1% during the month under review at 1,166 units as against 3,161 units in March 2016.

Sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz declined 10.3% to 4,918 units during the month. The company said sales of utility vehicles, including Ertiga, S-Cross and Vitara Brezza, rose 31.8% to 18,311 units in March this year from 13,894 units in the corresponding month last year.

Sales of vans Omni and Eeco declined 9.8% to 11,628 units last month as compared to 12,896 units in the same period of the previous year. Exports during the month rose 12.6% to 11,764 units as compared to 10,450 units in March last year, MSI said.