MARUTI SUZUKI RAISES OUTPUT BY 4% IN NOV

NEW DELHI: After nine straight months of falling production, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd built more vehicles in November than a year earlier, following the mild sales recovery seen in the festive month of October.

Production in November rose 4.33% year-on-year to 141,834 vehicles, India’s largest carmaker said in a statement on BSE.

Production of utility vehicles such as the Vitara Brezza, XL6 and Ertiga increased 18% yearon-year to 27,187 units in November, while that of compact hatchback cars such as the Wagon R, Celerio and Baleno increased 18.82% year-on-year to 78,133 units.

Increased demand for diesel vehicles such as the Vitara Brezza compact sport utility vehicle and new products such as the XL6 multipurpose vehicle have propelled the company to increase production.

Despite the launch of its new small car S-Presso, Maruti’s production of vehicles in the mini car segment fell 20% year-on-year to 24,052 units in November.

The increase in vehicle production in November follows a 4.5% year-on-year growth in wholesales, or industry dispatches, of Maruti in October to 144,277 units. This was the first increase in seven months for the company thanks to a high level of discounts across most of its product range. In November, however, Maruti’s wholesales declined by 3.2% year-on-year to 141,400 units. Sales of automobiles in the domestic market have been on a precipitous decline since the September quarter of FY19 due to an overall slowdown in consumption and liquidity crisis at financial institutions after the collapse of IL&FS.