As the competition gets stiffer with each passing year, India's largest car manufacturer Maruti-Suzuki seems to be only getting stronger than ever. Toyota, GM, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Ford might be forces to reckon with globally, but Maruti-Suzuki demolishes them when it comes to the unique Indian market, teaching these global giants a lesson or two in the process. Apart from topping the sales charts and contributing significantly to the parent company's bottom-line, Suzuki's Indian subsidiary regularly tops all the customer satisfaction and sales satisfaction indices. Now, that's what we would call incredible!
A compilation of the annual sales statistics of 2013 shows that Maruti-Suzuki produces five of the top ten selling passenger cars and utility vehicles in India. As it has been since 2004, Alto is the country's largest selling car, with a total of 265,777 customers reposing their faith in this little car. The Alto might not look impressive, but it comes across as a no-nonsense city car with adequate space for five, a fuel-efficient engine and excellent reliability. Add to it the company's widespread service network, low maintenance costs and cheaper spares and you know that customers just can't go wrong with the Alto.
Just as we predicted, the Swift and Swift Dzire showed their mettle yet again, finishing on the podium and falling just short of 200,000 units each. Making it four in a row is the consistent Wagon-R that sold close to 160,000 units. With sales of 62,219 units, the Ertiga is the third model from the Swift platform that finds a place in the Top 10 chart, albeit the last spot. With appealing looks, peppy and frugal engines, excellent dynamics and a big-car feel to it, the Swift has captured the hearts and minds of Indians, the positive effect of which is rubbing off on the Dzire and Ertiga.
Finishing behind the four Suzukis with yet another stellar performance in the sales chart is the Mahindra Bolero. That makes the top five selling cars in 2013 the same as the previous year. Despite the Bolero's age-old underpinnings, Mahindra's constant efforts in refreshing the model range and its workhorse nature rubs off positively with the Indian customers. And that makes the Bolero India's best-selling utility vehicle by a huge margin.
A trio of Hyundais come up next, with the Eon besting the i10 and i20. With the Grand i10 making a strong debut in the second half of the year, the older i10 has understandably lost its sheen and will effectively bow out of the Top 10 list this year. But, we expect the Grand i10 to put up a strong showing in 2014. The ninth position goes to Toyota Innova, that continues to find favour with customers despite its ever-inflating prices.
2013 Top 10 in India:
1. Maruti-Suzuki Alto - 265,777
2. Maruti-Suzuki Swift - 199,257
3. Maruti-Suzuki Swift Dzire - 198,317
4. Maruti-Suzuki Wagon-R - 159,233
5. Mahindra Bolero - 110,470
6. Hyundai Eon - 89,964
7. Hyundai i10 - 77,913
8. Hyundai i20 - 71,788
9. Toyota Innova - 63,184
10. Maruti-Suzuki Ertiga - 62,219
Source for Figures: www.team-bhp.com (Monthly Sales Charts)
| Star of 2013 - Maruti-Suzuki Swift |
| Promise of 2014 - Hyundai Grand i10 |
For reasons that have been stated several times before, Maruti-Suzuki Swift takes our crown as the shining star of the Indian automotive industry in 2013. The revolution that started in 2006 is showing no signs of slowing down and might well continue unabated for the next few years. Much improved over its predecessor which was a top-seller itself, the Hyundai Grand i10 promises to take the fight to India's largest car manufacturer, something that no other brand or model has dared to before. That makes the Grand i10 the promise of 2014.
Outside the top ten, Honda Amaze, Ford Ecosport, Renault Duster and Hyundai Verna post impressive sales figures that might carry over in 2014 as well.
Outside the top ten, Honda Amaze, Ford Ecosport, Renault Duster and Hyundai Verna post impressive sales figures that might carry over in 2014 as well.
The battle for luxury supremacy sees yet another change, with Audi leapfrogging its fellow Germans to end 2013 as the most popular luxury brand in India. That's a great achievement for the Volkswagen group brand, given the fact that it is the newest entrant in India. With a slew of new launches and customer-centric initiatives, Mercedes-Benz came up second, relegating BMW to the third spot. Well, how quickly things change! Jaguar and Volvo are nowhere near to threaten the Germans, while Lexus, Acura and Infiniti are yet to announce their plans for the Indian market.
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