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With the launch of premium hatchback Maruti Suzuki Baleno and an upgraded premium sedan Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the competition in these segments is intensifying with rival carmakers like Hyundai and Honda. Significantly, the difference in sales volumes of top-selling products has narrowed significantly over the last few months. Check out here how Hyundai i20 vs Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs Maruti Suzuki Ciaz vs Honda City rivalry is panning out:
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Maruti Suzuki Baleno overtook Hyundai’s Elite i20 by a narrow margin in April; the Elite was the market leader clocking over 8,000 units while the i20 Active – a crossover – sells around 1,800-2,000 units a month. While Baleno reported strong volumes in November and December last year, the car had just been launched and was expected to see good demand. SALES IN NOVEMBER, 2015: Maruti Suzuki Baleno: 9,074; Hyundai Elite i20: 8,264, Maruti Ciaz: 5,509, Honda City: 6,342 (Reuters)
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Meanwhile, the Honda City, the leader in the premium sedan space since January 2014, saw volumes taper from the peak of over 9,000 units a month in March 2015 to less than 6,000 units in April 2016. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, launched as a soft-hybrid in September last year, has clocked volumes close to that of the City in the past few months, overtaking it in February. However, the City retained the top spot in March and April, though the gap remains small. SALES IN DECEMBER, 2015: Maruti Suzuki Baleno: 10,572; Hyundai Elite i20: 8,629, Maruti Ciaz: 2,841, Honda City: 6,366. (In photo: Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. Reuters)
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The Maruti Suzuki Baleno appears to have hit Maruti Suzuki Swift, sales of which have settled at around 14,000 units compared with 18,000 units a month before the launch of Baleno. The Maruti management said in March this year the risk of the Baleno cannibalising sales of the Swift was minimal given that it is the top-end variant of the Baleno that is more in demand. SALES IN JANUARY, 2016: Maruti Suzuki Baleno: 7,698; Hyundai Elite i20: 8,250, Maruti Ciaz: 5,431, Honda City: 8,037
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“For the Swift most inquiries are for the mid-variant while for the Baleno over 50% of the bookings are for the top-end variant. The difference in prices is quite wide and therefore there is limited cannibalisation,” the management had said in response to queries from analysts. SALES IN FEBRUARY, 2016: Maruti Suzuki Baleno: 6,888; Hyundai Elite i20: 8,419, Maruti Ciaz: 5,162, Honda City: 4,880. (Reuters)
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Analysts believe the negative publicity around diesel cars has impacted some models such as the City. “Customers have become cautious since the uncertainty surrounding diesel could impact the resale value of the car,” Abdul Majeed, partner at Price Waterhouse said. Moreover, customer preference is also shifting from sedans to compact SUVs and premium hatchbacks due to paucity of parking spaces in urban areas, he said. SALES IN APRIL, 2016: Maruti Suzuki Baleno: 9,560; Hyundai Elite i20: 9,400, Maruti Ciaz: 5,702, Honda City: 5,793. (Reuters)
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Nevertheless, even if the Baleno takes away some Swift volumes, the company is earning better realisations. For the January-March 2015-16 period, Maruti’s net realisations per unit saw a year-on-year jump of 8.1% to Rs 4.24 lakh from Rs 3.93 lakh. Analysts said that the margins are higher for a premium product. SALES IN MARCH, 2016: Maruti Suzuki Baleno: 6,236; Hyundai Elite i20: 8,713, Maruti Ciaz: 5,480, Honda City: 5,662
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