Maruti sales dip 1%, exports down 24% in October

Sales of mini-segment cars dip over 9%, compact segment sales fall 3.5%

Country's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today reported a 1.1% decline in total sales in October at 1,03,973 units as against 1,05,087 units in the same month last year.

The company said its domestic sales rose by 1% during the month to 97,069 units as against 96,062 units in October, 2013.

Sales of mini segment cars, including M800, Alto, A-Star and WagonR, declined by 9.2% to 35,753 units compared to 39,379 units in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement.

The company said sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz, Dzire declined by 3.5% to 37,083 units in October this year as against 38,410 units last year.

MSI said sales of its compact sedan Dzire Tour rose by 42.4% during the month under review at 1,408 units as against 989 units in October, 2013.

The sales of company's mid-sized sedan Ciaz, which was launched in October, stood at 6,345 units. The company had sold 262 units of SX4 sedan in the same period of 2013. There was no sale of premium sedan Kizashi during the month.

Sales of utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara and Ertiga, declined by 16.7% at 6,027 units in October this year from 7,236 units in the corresponding month last year.

Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco -- increased by 6.8% to 10,453 units in October this year, as against 9,786 units in the same period of previous year. Exports during the month declined by 23.5% to 6,904 units compared to 9,025 units in October last year, MSI said.