Maruti reaches new sales milestone; captures 49 per cent market share

India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, has a great understanding of the Indian market since it has been offering its products here since 1981. In 2016, the company has scaled new heights. Maruti sold 1,49,143 units in September, which is its highest ever domestic monthly sales. This means that the company has grabbed a market share of 49.2 per cent in the Indian four-wheeler industry.

The majority sales for Maruti are still derived from the entry level segments, but the popularity of cars like the Vitara Brezza has enabled it to target a wider audience. Maruti has lined up some very exciting cars for the festive season as well. By November end, the Indian automaker is expected to launch two new hatchbacks in the market. One of them is the Baleno RS, the high-performance version of the Baleno hatchback. It has a 1.0-litre turbocharged 'BoosterJet' engine which produces 111PS of power – 27PS more than the outgoing petrol variants. The Baleno RS will also feature an exclusive black paint with a sporty body kit and alloy wheels. Prices are expected to start at Rs 9 lakh.

Another hatchback entering India from Maruti is the micro-SUV – Ignis. With a tall stance and masculine looks, this hatchback looks like a small SUV and is a brand-new product from the carmaker. It will most likely feature the 1.2-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre diesel engines from the Swift hatchback. Technology-wise, the Ignis hatchback will come fully loaded with a hi-tech Harman Kardon audio system integrated into a touchscreen infotainment system. This hatchback will be positioned between the Swift and the Baleno and will be sold out of the NEXA line of showrooms.

With such cars in the offing, Maruti sure has a strong festive season line-up. But, other carmakers like Hyundai and Honda are also gearing up to make a strong presence. No matter who dominates this race, the winner will be the customers who will get new products at exciting prices.

Source: CarDekho.com