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Tata Sumo regains top MUV title

V Phani Kumar

Tata Sumo has regained its position as the largest selling multi-utility vehicle in the country, ahead of Toyota Qualis and Mahindra's Commander and Marshal series of vehicles. Tata Engineering sold 25,691 Sumos last fiscal, three per cent more than the 24,960 sold in 1999-2000.

Sumo was last the market leader in the MUV segment in 1996-97.

"Tata Sumo has stood out and has emerged as the largest selling vehicle in the MUV segment in spite of a general impression created by the industry that the entry of the Qualis would affect its sales. Not only have the sales of Sumo exceeded those of competing models, it has also surpassed its own sales in the previous fiscal," said Rajiv Dube, general manager (passenger cars division), Tata Engineering.

Launched in 1994, Tata Sumo created a record in 1997 by selling 100,000 units in less than three years, Dube said. Tata Engineering is understood to have sold around 250,000 units of the vehicle so far.

With the sale of 27,884 units overall in the MUV segment during the fiscal, Tata Engineering has retained its second position behind Mahindra & Mahindra, the market leader in the segment. Tata Safari, the other offering from the company in this space, finished the year with sales of 2,200 units, 20 per cent less than the 2,756 units sold the previous fiscal.

According to Society of Indian Auto Manufacturers Association figures, MUV sales rose marginally to 1,11,959 units in the first eleven months of fiscal 2001 from 1,10,636 units in the corresponding period the previous year.

Toyota's urban utility vehicle, the Qualis, emerged as a prominent player in the market, reaching the third position by selling 22,517 units during the period.

The market share of M&M slumped by over 19 per cent during the year.

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