Maruti posts record annual sales, up 13.3 pc

Country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday reported its highest ever-annual sales, registering a growth of 13.3 per cent in 2007-08 over the previous fiscal.

The company said it sold 7,64,842 vehicles in 2007-08 as against 6,74,924 units in the previous year.

Sales in the month of March were, however, down by 2.1 per cent at 70,296 units as against 71,772 units in the same month last year.

During the full fiscal year, domestic sales stood at 7,11,818 units as against 6,35,629 units, a growth of 12 per cent.

Exports also recorded a quantum jump of 34.9 per cent at 53,024 units as compared to 39,295 units in the previous year.

Sale of its entry-level car M800 declined by 12.2 per cent at 69,553 units as against 79,245 units in the previous fiscal.

The A2 segment (Alto, Zen Estillo, Wagon-R, Swift) recorded 13.4 per cent increase in sales at 4,99,280 units as against 4,40,375 units in the previous year.

The biggest growth was in the A3 segment (SX4, Swift Dzire), where it registered sales of 49,335 units as compared to 29,697 units in FY07, the company said.

Maruti said it sold 5,658 units of its newly launched mid-sized sedan DZire during March.

During the year FY08, Alto strengthened its position as Indias top selling car, clocking volumes of 2,27,173 units during the year. This is the second consecutive year in which Alto sales crossed the 2-lakh mark, it said.