Maruti's December sales rise 3%

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday reported 3.24 per cent increase in its total sales at 95,145 units in December 2012.

The company had sold 92,161 units in the same month previous year, MSI said in a statement.

In December last year, MSI recorded domestic sales of 82,073 units compared to 77,475 units in the year-ago period, registering a rise of 5.93 per cent, it added.

MSI's exports, however, went down by 10.99 per cent to 13,072 units last month from 14,686 units in the year-ago period, the company said.

Total passenger car sales in the domestic market fell marginally to 68,729 units from 69,329 units in the same month of 2011.

Sales of the company's mini-segment cars, including M800, A-Star, Alto and WagonR, fell by 15.02 per cent to 32,797 units during the month from 38,593

units in December previous year, MSI said.

In the compact segment (comprising Estilo, Swift and Ritz models), MSI witnessed a rise of 8.86 per cent in sales to 22,482 units from 20,653 units in the same month a year ago, it added.

Sales of MSI's DZiRE model increased by 42.30 per cent to 13,076 units in December from 9,189 units in the same month previous year, it said.

MSI's mid-sized sedan SX4 sales, however, dipped by 60.97 per cent to 329 units last month from 843 units in December 2011, the statement said.

Luxury sedan Kizashi witnessed a drop of 11.76 per cent in sales at 45 units as against 51 units in the year-ago period, MSI said.

MSI also sold 5,447 units of utility vehicles, comprising Gypsy, Ertiga and Grand Vitara, compared to 238 units in the year-ago period, registering a rise of nearly 23-fold.

Sales of Omni and Eeco, however, dipped marginally to 7,897 units from 7,908 units in December 2011.