While the overall sales of Maruti Suzuki saw a de-growth of 36 per cent in August 2019, the popularity of Alto, Celerio, Ignis, Ciaz got reduced by more than half
The Indian auto sector has been suffering from the worst-ever slowdown in the last two decades. The effect of the sales slump is such that Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest-selling carmaker, has reported a de-growth on YoY basis for 10 consecutive months now. While its overall sales fell by 36 per cent last month, its popular models like the Alto, Celerio, Ignis, and Ciaz saw their sales falling by over 50 per cent. Here are the details –
1. Maruti Alto
Maruti Alto 800 and Alto K10, the entry-level duo from the popular carmaker, registered a combined sale of 10,123 units last month. This corresponds to a massive 54 per cent drop from the 22,237 sold in August 2018. While the Alto siblings continue to enjoy the top place in the A-segment, the sales slowdown has definitely affected the popularity of the entry-level models from Maruti Suzuki.
Soon, Maruti will launch the all-new S-Presso, an all-new model that will be sold alongside the K10. It is being hoped that the new model, which will have a crossover-inspired design, would be able to revive the fortunes of its company in the entry-level car market.
2. Maruti Celerio
Maruti Celerio has never been as successful as its siblings like the Wagon R, but has enjoyed a fairly large fan-following who swear by this budget hatchback for the high practicality, frugal-yet-peppy engine and decent ride quality it offers. That said, the Celerio suffered a sales drop of 50 per cent last month. The Celerio saw its sales dropping from a decent 9,503 units in August 2018 to just 4,765 units last month.
3. Maruti Ignis
Maruti Ignis has never been anywhere as popular as the Maruti Swift, but, like the Celerio, enjoys a fairly decent market share. The Ignis makes incredible sense for everyone who needs SUV-ish traits in a B1-segment hatchback as the boxy and bold design, together with 1800 mm of ground clearance, gives the Ignis an almost crossover-like look.
Like the Alto and the Celerio, the Ignis saw a huge decline in its popularity last month as its sales numbers fell from 3,043 units in August 2018 to 1,322 units in August 2019. This corresponds to a 57 per cent drop in popularity on YoY basis.
| Models | August 2019 | August 2018 |
| Maruti Ciaz (-77%) | 1,596 Units | 7,002 Units |
| Maruti Ignis (-57%) | 1,322 Units | 3,043 Units |
| Maruti Alto (-54%) | 10,123 Units | 22,237 Units |
| Maruti Celerio (-50%) | 4,765 Units | 9,503 Units |
| Maruti Vitara Brezza (-46%) | 7,109 Units | 13,271 Units |
| Maruti Dzire (-40%) | 13,272 Units | 21,990 Units |
| Maruti Baleno (-38%) | 11,067 Units | 17,713 Units |
4. Maruti Ciaz
The Honda City and Hyundai Verna-rival from Maruti Suzuki is easily the most successful C2-segment sedan the company has ever sold. While the Ciaz has been a regular with outclassing both the aforementioned rivals, the well-rounded sedan has not been able to fend off the heat from the ongoing slowdown. In August 2019, the Ciaz could find only 1,596 buyers, which is a whopping 77 per cent decline from 7,002 units sold in August 2018.
5. Maruti Vitara Brezza
The Maruti Vitara Brezza used to be the king of the SUV segment until the arrival of the Hyundai Venue, which was fairly quick to snatch the top-spot from the highly successful compact SUV. The Brezza has been losing out on popularity for a while now, with its sales falling by 46 per cent on YoY basis last month.
In August 2019, the SUV sold 7,109 units, which is a huge fall from 13,271 units sold in the corresponding month last year. Soon, the company will come up with a comprehensive facelift for the Brezza, which will bring in some styling updates, a petrol engine option and some new features. The company expects to reclaim the lost territory with the launch of the upcoming upgrade.