Maruti Suzuki posts marginal increase in October sales at 1,46,766 units

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India Thursday reported a marginal increase in sales at 1,46,766 units in October. The company had sold 1,46,446 units in October last year, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

Domestic sales were up 1.5 percent at 1,38,100 units last month as against 1,36,000 units in the year-ago month, it added.

Sales of minicars comprising Alto and WagonR were at 32,835 units, up 1.1 percent compared to 32,490 units in October last year.

Similarly, sales of compact segment, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno, and Dzire, were up 3.7 percent at 64,789 units as against 62,480 units in October last year, the company said.

Mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold 3,892 units as compared to 4,107 units in the same month a year ago.

However, utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga were down 11.2 percent at 20,764 units as compared to 23,382 units in the year-ago month, MSI said.

Exports in October were down by 17 percent at 8,666 units as against 10,446 units in the corresponding month last year, the company said.

Earlier, Maruti Suzuki India reported a net profit of Rs 2,240.4 crore in the July-September quarter. The company's net sales grew 0.5 percent to Rs 21,551.9 crore in the second quarter of the current financial year, from Rs 21,438.1 crore in the year-ago period.

Earlier, it was reported that to weed out the competition, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) plans to go full throttle to develop various kinds of alternate technologies, including CNG powered cars and hybrid vehicles, and not just electric vehicles.

Maruti Suzuki, which already has a market share of 50 percent in the domestic passenger vehicle segment, is keen to partner government or oil companies in order to push for CNG powered vehicles in the country.