Maruti wins the race!
There was a time when a owning a car in India meant you had made it in life – you were rich! And the choice of cars – either a Fiat or an Ambassador. Those really well-to-do could afford a Premier Padmini. Crossing the road was so easy; there were more BEST buses than cars.
Today, things have changed with almost anyone eligible to get a loan, owning a car. And we are spoilt for choice, with international brands to choose from. The cars of yesteryears do not even exist today. And in this extremely competitive sector, one has to hand it to Maruti for holding its steed and remaining the numero uno for so many years.
According to the latest data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), in the top 10 best passenger vehicles, Maruti’s Alto is the number one; the next three places are also all Maruti – its hatchback Wagon R was the second best-selling model, followed by premium hatchback Swift at third place and its compact sedan DZire at four.
The only non-Maruti was Hyundai’s Grand i10 at number five, again number six was Maruti’s Baleno, number seven was Hyundai’s i20 and again number eight was Maruti’s Celerio. M&M’s Bolero was at number nine and 10th was Renault’s entry level car Kwid.
So out of the top 10 selling cars in India, 6 cars come from the stables of Maruti. Now that’s no small feat!