Maruti Suzuki India said it has become the No.1 utility vehicle brand in India, overtaking long-time incumbent Mahindra & Mahindra in the financial year ended March 2018.
The company said it had a 27.5% market share in the UV/SUV space in the year.
Riding on the success of models like Vitara Brezza, Ertiga and S-Cross, Maruti Suzuki was able to sell 2.54 lakh UVs in the year, up 30% compared to the previous year.
Sales of Vitara Brezza increased by 36.7% in 2017-18, while it jumped by 44.4% for S-Cross and 4.1% for Ertiga.
During the same period, Mahindra & Mahindra sold a total of 4.13 lakh vehicles, compared to 3.76 lakh in the previous year. It is not clear how many of them were utility vehicles.
However, it is likely that Mahindra & Mahindra’s UV sales figure, including the likes of Scorpio and Thar, is likely to be in the 2.2-2.5 lakh range.
R.S Kalsi, head of sales and marketing at Maruti, said the company has been systematically expanding its utility vehicle portfolio in recent years.
Maruti Suzuki even launched a specialized retail channel called NEXA to cater to the premium segment.
Vitara Brezza and Ertiga are sold from Maruti Suzuki ARENA, while S-Cross is available at NEXA showrooms.
“Each of the offerings is distinctively placed and offers immense value to customers,” Kalsi claimed.
Maruti Suzuki had 2,627 sales outlets as on March 31, 2018, comprising ARENA, NEXA and commercial outlets.