Maruti Suzuki sales up 3% in March

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Monday reported highest ever monthly sales in March at 1,25,952 units, 3.28 per cent jump from 1,21,952 units in the same month last year.

For the entire 2011-12 financial year however, the company's sales declined by 10.80 per cent to 11,33,695 units from 12,71,005 units in 2010-11, Maruti Suzuki India said.

In March 2012, the Delhi-based firm reported highest ever domestic sales at 1,12,724 units, an increase of 2.08 per cent over 1,10,424 units in March 2011, it added.

The company's earlier highest for total and domestic sales stood at 1,21,952 units and 1,10,424 units respectively in March 2011.

MSI's exports last month went up by 14.75 per cent to 13,228 units from 11,528 units in the year-ago period, the company said.

However, sales of the company's mini segment cars, including the M800, A-Star, Alto and WagonR, fell by 10.16 per cent to 52,826 units from 58,799 units in March, 2011.

In the compact segment (comprising the Estilo, Swift and Ritz models), MSI witnessed a 23.64 per cent jump in sales to 27,913 units, from 22,576

units in the same month a year ago.

Sales of MSI's DZiRE model increased by 60.06 per cent to 16,451 units from 10,278 units in the corresponding period a year ago.

In addition, MSI's mid-sized sedan SX4's sales slipped by 58.15 per cent to 1,520 units from 3,632 units in the year-ago month, MSI said.

Luxury sedan Kizashi witnessed 53.40 per cent fall in sales at 48 units as against 103 units in the same month last year, it added.

MSI's total passenger car sales rose 3.53 per cent to 98,758 units in March from 95,388 units in the same month in 2011, it added.

During the 2011-12 fiscal, MSI's domestic sales decreased by 11.16 per cent to 10,06,316 from 11,32,739 units in the previous fiscal, the company said.

Exports during the year also declined by 7.87 per cent to 1,27,379 units from 1,38,266 units in 2010-11, it added.

Total passenger car sales 2011-12 stood at 8,55,730 units as against 9,66,447 units in the previous fiscal, down 11.46 per cent.