Hyderabad: With first generation car owners opting for their second car and Indian families getting aspirational, Maruti Suzuki’s hatchback Swift replaced Alto as India’s the best selling car model in April this year.
Introduced in 2000, Alto — the basic model of Maruti Suzuki — had been the best selling car model in the country for the last 13 years after it dethroned Maruti 800 from the leadership position.
Experts feel that those, who already own an Alto, could be opting for Swift — a better alternative to Alto in Maruti stable — when they have to replace their old car.
According to data released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Swift sold 23,802 units in April this year as compared to 15,661 units in the year-ago month, up 51.98 per cent.
Alto came second this time around with 22,549 units as against 16,583 units in April last year, a growth of 35.97 per cent.
The young and aspirational car buyers may also be moving away from Alto, which is considered as the entry level car to more premium cars.
According to ESS data, the share of cars bought by those aged less than 29 years has been steadily growing. They were the buyers of 22 per cent of the total cars in 2010. The share went up to 27 per cent in 2016 and is expected to increase further.
In April 2017, the company also maintained its tight grip on the Indian passenger vehicles market with seven of its models in the top 10 best selling models with the remaining three spots taken by rival Hyundai Motor India Ltd.
Maruti’s Baleno came at third position with the sale of 17,530 units, while Wagon R was the 4th best selling model with 16,348 units. HMIL’s Elite i20 maintained its 5th position with 12,668 units, while compact car Grand i10 also held onto its 6th position with 12,001 units in April.
