Maruti Dzire sets record sales in February

Entry-level sedans have created a lot of buzz among buyers as they are priced close to premium hatchbacks but offer more space and comfort. Here we take a look at how the new Dzire’s introduction has had an impact on the Toyota Etios and Tata Manza in February.

Maruti Suzuki sold an impressive 15,068 units of the Dzire compact sedan in February 2012. This is the highest sales numbers of a sedan registered in a single month. Of course, a large part of this can be attributed to the launch of the new Dzire last month.

The new Maruti Suzuki Dzire was launched on February 1 in the price range of Rs. 4.79 lakh – Rs 7.09 lakh.

The new Dzire is less than 4 meters in length and qualifies for small car excise duty sops. This has allowed Maruti Suzuki to price the Dzire at around Rs. 25,000 cheaper than the earlier model, while at the same time making the car more fuel efficient. The new Dzire has an ARAI-certified mileage of 19.1 kmpl for petrol variants and 23.4 kmpl for diesel variants.

Dzire continues to rule entry-level sedan segment

The sales of the new Dzire show that buyers see value for money in the car. It has been consistently leading sales among entry-level sedans. During November 2011 – February 2012, Maruti sold 43,279 units of the Dzire at an average of 10,824 units a month.

The sales of the Dzire are significantly higher than the Dzire’s direct rivals, the Tata Manza and Toyota Etios. Tata Motors sold 30,969 units of Indigo and Manza during November 2011 – February 2012 at an average of 7,742 units. Toyota sold 18,823 units of Etios during the same period at an average of 4,705 units.

New Dzire affects Etios and Manza sales

In the last two months, the sales of Etios and Manza have dropped by slightly and the launch of the new Dzire could be one of the main reasons. The sales of the Indigo and Manza combined have dropped by 677 units while that of Etios has dropped by 254 units.

The sales of Etios has dropped despite Toyota dealers offering attractive discounts on 2011 Etios models of up to Rs. 50,000 worth of benefits and Rs. 10,000 on diesel models.

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Summary

The new Maruti Suzuki Dzire, in its new compact avatar continues to occupy the No1. Spot left by the old Dzire (which will co-exist as a low-end variant for the commercial segment). Can the Dzire continue to chalk up such heavy numbers in the long run or will the initial euphoria die out? Going by the bookings the car has clocked, Maruti will be busy for the next few months.