The popular model from stable of Maruti Suzuki Ltd -- WagonR has crossed 2 million sales mark for the company. This is the third model from the company after Maruti 800 and Alto to cross this figure.
For the five months of current fiscal year, Maruti Suzuki had a market share of about 50 per cent in the passenger vehicle market. For last fiscal, it was around 47 per cent.
WagonR was launched in 1999 and has been among the top five best selling cars since then, according to a senior official from Maruti Suzuki.
The best selling model of the company -- Alto crossed the feat of 2 million sales in 2012 and was launched in 2000. The sales of Alto has crossed 3 million units early last year. Both the models cater to a different audience and sells at different price points as well. WagonR begins at a price of Rs 4.10 lakh and goes up to Rs 5.34 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), while Alto begins at Rs 2.45 lakh (for the 800 variant) and goes up to Rs 4.15 lakh for the K10 variant.
Though, the sales of the WagonR took off in a big way only in 2004 when the company clocked 100,000 units of sales, which went up to 500,000 units in 2008, 15,00,000 units in 2015 and 20,00,000 units in 2017.
Maruti has undertaken regular upgrades on the WagonR model, in line with the changing needs of the people, according to the official. Though, the model has been successful across the country, cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Ahmedabad have contributed the most towards its total sales, the official said.
Commenting on the development, R S Kalsi, Senior Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki said,”Since its inception, WagonR has been ahead of its peers owing to its unique ‘Tall Boy Design,’ which was a first for the compact car segment in India. Its comfort seating, spacious interiors, superior fuel efficiency, practicality and pleasure of driving have made it a popular choice.”
Maruti Suzuki has systematically upgraded the brand periodically to keep it relevant, he said, adding customers are now days aspirational and expects enhanced quality of design, features and technologies which it has been adequately addressed by the company, he said.
WagonR has topped the sales chart for over 18 years now and even after such level of competition in the small car space, WagonR continues to be the preferred choice of the practical car buyer, Kalsi added.
Among the news features added to the WagonR model, auto gear shift trims account for over 16 per cent of the sales while CNG accounts for over 20 per cent of the sales. It was the first car with a tall boy design and first one to be offered as a dual fuel model in one car -- petrol and LPG. Subsequently, CNG model was also introduced
Maruti 800 was launched in 1983 and crossed 2 million sales in 2003. Subsequently, the model has been discontinued.
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