Maruti Suzuki emerges UV segment leader in the first quarter of this fiscal due to the dominant sales of Vitara Brezza and Ertiga
Maruti Suzuki has come out on top as the largest UV manufacturer in the country in the first quarter of 2018 financial year. The Indo-Japanese brand has managed to sell 57,125 units of its popular utility vehicles like the Vitara Brezza, Ertiga and S-Cross. It has led to an increase of 45 percent when compared to the same period in the previous fiscal with 39,348 units.
The highly successful subcompact SUV in the domestic market, the Vitara Brezza, and the bestselling compact MUV Ertiga have helped Maruti Suzuki gain leadership in the utility vehicle segment against sturdy rivals from Mahindra & Mahindra’s stable as well as Hyundai Creta.
| Maruti Suzuki Utility Vehicle Sales | ||
| Month | Units sold in Q1 FY18 | Units sold in Q1 FY17 |
| April | 20,638 | 16,044 |
| May | 22,608 | 13,596 |
| June | 13,879 | 9,708 |
In the B-segment, the market share of Maruti Suzuki has increased by a massive 7.7 percent in the first quarter of FY18. In the period between April and June 2017, MSIL’s market share in the same segment stood at 29.3 percent against 21.5 percent in the same months the previous year.
Having showcased the Vitara Brezza at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo, it went on sale with much anticipation a little while later and until now over 1.45 lakh examples of the sub-four metre SUV have been retailed. In addition, the Ertiga MUV, which has sold over 3.42 lakhs units since launch and over 18,700 units in Q1, has done its fair bit in securing the brand top position in the UV segment.
Looking at the sales numbers, the Ertiga shines out uniquely against its main rivals like the now discontinued Honda Mobilio and the Renault Lodgy. It was the first MUV in the country equipped with SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) and Apple CarPlay according to Maruti.