Maruti Cuts Production For 7th Straight Month In August, Here’s Why

Reeling under severe slowdown, Maruti Suzuki India reduced its production by 33.99 per cent in August, making it the seventh straight month that the country’s largest car maker reduced its output. The company produced a total of 1,11,370 units in August as against 1,68,725 units in the year-ago month, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a filing to the BSE on Monday.

Passenger vehicles’ production last month stood at 1,10,214 units as against 1,66,161 units in August 2018, a decline of 33.67 per cent, it added. Production of mini and compact segment cars including Alto, New WagonR, Celerio, Ignis, Swift, Baleno and Dzire stood at 80,909 units as against 1,22,824 units in August last year, down 34.1 per cent.

Production of utility vehicles such as Vitara Brezza, Ertiga and S-Cross declined 34.85 per cent to 15,099 units as compared with 23,176 units in the year-ago month. Mid-sized sedan Ciaz saw its production reduced to 2,285 units in August from 6,149 units in the same month last year.

Light commercial vehicle Super Carry’s production was also trimmed to 1,156 units last month from 2,564 units in August 2018, the filing said. In July, the automaker had cut its production by 25.15 per cent at 1,33,625 units. On Sunday, the company had reported a 33 per cent dip in total sales last month at 1,06,413 units as compared with 1,58,189 units in August 2018.

Recently, Maruti Suzuki launched its much-awaited multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) XL6 at a price starting from Rs 9.79 lakh to Rs 11.46 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Maruti Suzuki XL6 comes with a BS-VI compliant K15 petrol engine along with Smart Hybrid technology. It will be offered across two variant levels with a choice of manual and automatic transmissions. The premium MPV will be powered by a BSVI compliant 1.5-litre K15B Smart Hybrid petrol engine that will deliver 105 hp and 138 Nm of torque. It will be offered with manual as well as automatic transmission options.

Manual trims are priced at Rs 9.79 lakh and Rs 10.36 lakh while the automatic versions are tagged at Rs 10.89 lakh and Rs 11.46 lakh respectively. It comes with six seat configurations with captain seats in second row.

“At Maruti Suzuki, we have always focused on bringing products that match the customers’ demand. The XL6 is an exclusive six-seater premium MPV, designed to meet the aspirations of evolved NEXA customers,” Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) MD and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa told reporters.

(With inputs from PTI)