Mumbai: Maruti Suzuki India, the leading car manufacturer, is taking steps to revive small car sales by launching limited editions of the Alto K10, Celerio, and S-Presso models under the “Dream Series” for Rs 4.99 lakh. Additionally, they have reduced the prices of the automatic versions of these cars by Rs 5000. These special editions will be available until the end of the month, with the possibility of extension based on customer response. Sales start today.
Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer of Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki India, said, “We are introducing the Dream Series to revitalize the entry-level car market and meet customer expectations for convenience and utility.” He noted that while household incomes haven’t increased since Covid, small car prices have risen due to new safety and emissions regulations, making them less affordable.
The price reduction on automatic variants aims to increase sales of these models by 15-20%. However, Banerjee did not provide specific predictions for overall sales growth from this initiative, which is a first for the company.
The limited-edition models feature upgrades like a camera with display, security system, speakers, interior styling kit, body side molding, number plate frame, and skid plates. The K10 limited edition is similar in price to the mid-variant Alto K10 VXi+, the S-Presso limited edition matches the regular mid-range variant VXi, and the Celerio limited edition is comparable to the LXi variant.
Maruti’s small car sales have been struggling over the past three years. While Maruti holds a 69% share in this market, small car sales in India fell 12% in FY24, even as the overall passenger vehicle market grew by 8.7%, driven by strong SUV demand. The share of small car sales in the overall market dropped to 27.7% from 34.4% in FY23, and from 47.4% in FY18.
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