It?s been less than a year and Maruti?s new Grand Vitara seems to be losing out to newer models in its category.
The sport utility vehicle, launched in July last year, has lost steam with the company selling on an average 50 units a month as against the average of 135 units till October. While some attribute this to the impact of more sturdy models that have been introduced since then, others feel that the company?s absence from the segment for a long time prior to the launch of new Vitara has impacted its image as a sport utility vehicle maker.
?The launch of new models like Chevrolet Captiva and Ford Endeavour Plus, that are bigger in size and have more sturdy looks, have resulted in shift of customers? preference,? says an industry expert, adding that after over nine months of existence in the market the novelty of the product has diminished and as result the sales have stabilised at a lower level.
?Absence of any manufacturer from any segment for a long time gives other players an opportunity to fill in the void space. Since Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) had no product in the category for a long time, it would take some time to pick up,? says Abdul Majeed, auto analyst, Price Waterhouse. ?However, if the sales do not pick up in a big way in next six months, it would be a cause of concern,? he adds.
A company official, on the other hand, says that it is the lower number of units that are being exported to the country, which has impacted sales. ?Grand Vitara is sold in India as a completely build unit, imported from the parent company in Japan, and the lower number of units being sold in the country is largely because Suzuki Motor Corporation has been exporting limited number of units to India,? says Maruti?s official spokesperson. According to the figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the company sold 45 units of Vitara in January and 53 units in February this year as against 238 units in July, when it was launched.
The sport utility vehicle segment, that comprises of Tata Motor?s Safari, Mahindra Scorpio and Bolero, Toyota Innova, General Motors’ Tavera and Captiva, Ford Endeavour and Honda CR-V, have grown by 59.23% to 11,985 units in February this year.