Alto sales decline: The Kwid effect

The Kwid, on the other hand, has been selling approximately 10,000 units consistently, month-on-month.

India's bestselling car, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, is facing heat from the new kid on the block, the Renault Kwid. Sales have declined by up to 23 per cent in April compared to 16,583 units in March. The Kwid, on the other hand, has been selling approximately 10,000 units consistently, month-on-month. These numbers come directly out of the Alto's kitty that has registered lowest numbers since May 2013.

Sales of the Alto are further expected to take a hit as the Datsun redi-GO gears up for launch next month.

Let’s take a quick look at the monthly sales of the Alto duo since the Kwid was launched:

Looking at the figures, it’s clear that Alto sales weren’t hampered in the first instance. Initially, the Kwid managed to attract ‘new’ buyers without eating up the Alto’s space. However, lately, it seems like a massive bunch of Alto buyers are going in for the French hatch (see March and April figures).

The Kwid have always had long waiting periods, and it still carries some, but it was in April that Renault started the third shift at their Chennai facility, which helped the automaker bring down the seven months of waiting time to just three.

The trouble for the Alto doesn’t end here – the Kwid 1.0 is also slated to be launched soon. Besides, the Tata Tiago and KUV 100 have also started to churn out decent numbers. With these entry-level cars gaining popularity, Maruti’s iron fist in the segment seems to be loosening a bit.

Amid all this, Maruti also launched the facelifted Alto 800 on May 18. Whether it is able to withstand the intensifying competition or not, only the future can tell us.

Source: CarDekho.com