Maruti Suzuki may cut production amid sales slowdown: Report
- Maruti Suzuki sales dropped by 9.64 per cent in July as the carmaker reduced vehicle dispatches to dealers amid moderation in demand.
Maruti Suzuki may soon reduce numbers of cars manufactured at its facilities in India as carmakers continue to witness slowdown in demand which has led to drop in car sales over the past couple of months. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) has reportedly said it is planning to ease inventories with dealers ahead of Diwali this year. Maruti attributed its decision to ‘slower than expected’ demand for passenger vehicles in the first quarter of the ongoing financial year.
According to a report in Business Standard, the statement to reduce production was made by Suzuki Motor Corporation, the major shareholder in Maruti Suzuki in India. During a conference call with analysts, the carmaker said that its sales in the first few months of the ongoing financial year is much less than to what it has manufactured so far. Sales of most of the carmakers in India has been witnessing a downslide recently. Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, saw its sales drop by 9.64 per cent in July compared to the same month last year.
Also check these Cars
Reduced sales has led to build up of unsold cars for carmakers. This has also put dealers in a spot as stockpile keeps rising leading into the festive season. Suzuki Motor said, “We are currently adjusting production to reduce market stock and are closely monitoring demand trends. India will be in a critical period with the upcoming festival season; so we will closely monitor demand trends."
Also Read : Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 and S-Presso get safer with this new feature
Maruti made more cars than it sold between April and June
Maruti Suzuki has not revealed details about pending orders or unsold inventories. However, the carmaker could sell only 4.27 lakh units between April and June despite its production increasing by more than seven per cent during these months with 4.96 lakh cars dispatched to dealers. According to The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), Indian carmakers are currently sitting on around 7.30 lakh unsold cars, roughly what the entire four-wheel passenger vehicle industry usually sells within two months.
Also Read : From Maruti to Tata and more, less cheer and more caution as July sales dip
Maruti Suzuki sales in July
Maruti Suzuki has seen the sales of its hatchbacks slump in the past few months. The segment, which includes the likes of Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift and WagonR models, contributed only 42 per cent of the carmaker's overall sales last month. Its utility vehicle segment, which now contributes almost equal sales as Maruti's small cars, also witnessed slump in July. Demand for MPVs and SUVS like Brezza, Ertiga, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Invicto, Jimny, and XL6 were down by 10 per cent during this period.
Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.