Maruti Suzuki production up 7.88 pc in Dec at 1,15,949 units

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Wednesday reported a 7.88 per cent increase in production in December at 1,15,949 units, the second successive month of hike after reducing it for nine months in a row due to demand slump.

The company had produced 1,07,478 units in December 2018, Maruti Suzuki India said in a regulatory filing.

The biggest hike in production was in the compact segment comprising new WagonR, Celerio, Ignis, Swift, Baleno, OEM Model and Dzire, at 62,448 units as against 44,329 units in the year-ago month, an increase of 40.87 per cent.

The mini segment consisting of Alto, S-Presso, old WagonR saw a 9.54 per cent decline at 25,613 units as compared to 28,314 units in the same month in 2018, it added.

Utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Vitara Brezza, Ertiga, XL-6, S-Cross production stood at 19,825 units in Decmber 2019 as against 16,436 units in the same month a year ago, up 20.62 per cent, the company said.

MSI said mid-sized sedan Ciaz production stood at 894 units as compared to 1,516 units in the corresponding month in 2018, while those of vans Eeco and Omni saw 62.16 percent cut at 6,182 units as compared to 16,338 units in the same month a year ago.

Production of light commercial vehicle Super Carry increased to 987 units in December 2019 from 545 units in the year-ago month, the company added.

In November last year also the company had increased its production 4.33 per cent, after having reduced output for nine straight months due to lower demand. The company produced a total of 1,41,834 units in November 2019 as against 1,35,946 units in the year-ago month.