Maruti says minicar, SUV sales jump, while total deliveries drop

Maruti Suzuki, the South Asian nation’s top automaker, reported a jump in sales of its minicars and sport utility vehicles last month that helped offset a decline in demand for its most popular models.

Total deliveries, including exports, dropped 1.1% in July to 108,064 units, the company said on Saturday. Sales fell 54% in June. Deliveries of its minicars including Alto climbed 49% to 17,258 units, while sales of SUVs rose 26% to 19,177.

Demand for its most popular models including the Swift hatchback waned, with the segment posting a 10% drop in sales to 51,529 units. The local unit of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp. posted its first quarterly loss on record for the three months through June as a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the virus stopped people from visiting showrooms.

While local sales climbed 1.8%, exports fell 27% last month.