The Indian automobile sector has been reeling under intense pressure over the past few months. It was even the country’s largest automaker that suffered diminishing sales which fell for the fifth consecutive month in July 2019. Apart from January 2019, when the automaker saw sales rise by a marginal 0.2 percent, the months that followed have seen sales on the decline. The decline was to the extent that the automaker saw market share decline to 48.16% in July 2019.
In the past month, Maruti Suzuki noted negative sales for every model in its lineup apart from the Eeco, WagonR, Ertiga and Ciaz. Sales dipped from 1,52,427 units sold in July 2018 to 96,478 units sold in the past month, down 37 percent. Sales in June 2019 were at 1,11,014 units with sales higher by 13 percent as compared to sales in July 2019. The model wise breakup is as follows.
Maruti’s best selling SUVs, Brezza and S Cross reported heavy decline in sales for the month. Sales of the S-Cross also fell 88 percent to 654 units in July 2019. Sales in July 2018 stood at 5,308 units while sales in June 2019 were at 1,359 units. Sales of the S-Cross have been going down with the Hyundai Creta claiming dominance over it.
Vitara Brezza sales were down 63 percent to 5,302 units in July 2019 as compared to sales of 14,181 units in July 2018. Sales were even lower by 40 percent in the past month as compared to sales of 8,871 units sold in June 2019. These lower sales were due to the launch of the Hyundai Venue which has been grabbing the attention away from the Brezza.
Eeco sales surged as much as 30 percent in the past month to 9,814 units as against 7,578 units sold in July 2018. Sales of this model also increased 6 percent as compared to sales of 9,265 units sold in June 2019. Also on a positive note was the sales of WagonR which increased 5 percent in the past month to 15,062 units as against 14,229 units sold in July 2018 and 47 percent higher than sales in Jun 2019 when it stood at 10,228 units. Ertiga sales increased 94 percent from 4,764 units sold in July 2018 to 9,222 units sold in July 2019 while sales in June 2019 stood at 7,567 units.
Sales of the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz however surged as much as 4,894 percent from 48 units sold in July 2018 to 2,397 units sold in the past month. Sales were also at 2,322 units in June 2019. Apart from these three models, sales of the Alto, dipped 50 percent to 11,577 units in July 2019 as against 23,371 units sold in the same month of the previous year. Sales were even lower as compared to sales of 18,733 units sold in June 2019.
Sales of the Maruti Suzuki Ignis also fell 54 percent to just 1,563 units in the past month. This was against sales of 3,397 units in July 2018 and sales of 2,911 units in June 2019. Celerio sales also fell 35 percent in July 2019. Sales which stood at 7,376 units in July 2018 fell to 4,805 units in the past month, 1 percent lower than sales of 4,871 units sold in June 2019.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis suffered a 42 percent dip in sales in the past month to 10,482 units as against 17,960 units sold in July 2018. Sales of this model were also lower by 23 percent as compared to sales of 13,689 units sold in June 2019. The Baleno has had to face up with competition from the Toyota Glanza which is a rebadged Baleno.
Sales of the Swift also fell 37 percent in the past month to 12,677 units as against sales of 19,993 units sold in the same month of the past year. Sales in June 2019 were 22 percent higher at 16,330 units as compared to sales in July 2019. Maruti Suzuki Gypsy and Omni could not be taken into account as both these models have been discontinued from early this year.
