Car major Maruti Suzuki has seen a surge in demand for its auto gear shift (AGS) models of Celerio and Alto K10. Maruti has already sold over 10,000 units of both the models in the quarter ended June and sees the demand for the same picking up for both the models with the waiting period continuing at four weeks.
“From 2,800 units in FY14, Maruti saw the sales of AGS fitted base models shooting up to 30,000 units in FY15 and we have already crossed 10,000 in the first quarter,” Vinay Pant, national head (marketing), Maruti Suzuki, told FE.
“We attribute this to cost-effective, better fuel efficiency and low cost of ownership. Of the total number of Celerios sold, over 35% of the demand has come for AGS versions and the same has been 25% for the new Alto K10s. The Celerio’s offering of an AGS at a competitive price in the mass segment has given Maruti the edge,” he said.
The price difference between Celerio manual and AGS is reasonably low and without compromising on the fuel efficiency. This has made it a popular choice across India, Pant said.
