Maruti way ahead in mid-sized sedan segment

Country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India, better known for its compact cars, has zipped past competition, including Honda and Hyundai, in the mid-sized sedan segment this fiscal on the back of its successful model SX4.

The company, which has been focusing on becoming a full-scale player to outgrow its small-carmaker image as a part of parent Suzuki's global strategy, has managed to grow 53.2% in the A3 (mid-sized sedan) segment during the April-February period.

According to the latest data by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), MSI's sales in the period stood at 41,799 units as compared to 27,283 units in the same period last year.

The growth has enabled the company to speed past Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI), which was at the number one slot in April-February period of the previous fiscal. HSCI sells City, its popular model in the segment.

In the ongoing fiscal, HSCI's cumulative sales stood at 34,029 units as against 35,300 units in the corresponding period last year.

Hyundai Motor India comes third in the segment with 29,146 units sold in the period as against 25,147 units a year ago. The company sells two models - Accent and Verna - in the category.

The fight for the fourth place in the segment is a close one, between Ford and Tata Motors that have respectively clocked sales of 26,485 units (down from 34,681 units last year) and 26,281 units (29,949 units last year) during the period.

Ford has Ikon, Fiesta and Fusion models in the segment, while Tata Motors has Indigo and Indigo Marina.