Swift dethrones the Alto as top-selling PV in FY21
NEW DELHI: Sales figures for the last financial year 2020-21 (FY21) show that Maruti Suzuki’s (MSIL) first premium hatchback Swift has dethroned its entry level car Alto to emerge as India’s largest selling passenger vehicle in a single financial year.
MSIL sold 1,72,671 units of the Swift in financial year 2021 as against 1,87,916 sold in FY20. On the other hand, Alto’s sale came down to 1,58,992 units in FY21 from 1,90,814 units in FY20.
Sales of the Alto, which retained the number one position in the top-selling PVs chart for 16 straight years, has now fallen below that of the Baleno and Wagonr. The Baleno, with 1,63,445 units sold, was India’s second most selling car in FY21 while tallboy Wagonr came in third with 1,60,330 units. This big change in ranking is significant since the price gap between the Alto and the Swift is more than Rs 2 lakh, the latter being the costlier model.
Analysts note that this shows that how consumer preference in recent years has moved towards vehicles that offer rich features and more safety rather than just vehicles that are only easy on the pocket. First launched on September 27, 2000, the Alto is the first car in India whose cumulative sales has topped the 4 million unitmark. Alto’s sales peaked at nearly 3.50 lakh units in 2010-11 which is almost double the units it sold in the last financial year. Swift, meanwhile, was launched in India in 2005 and breached the cumulative sales milestone of 2.3 million units in 2020.
In the fiercely competitive SUV segment, Hyundai’s Creta surpassed the sales of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza by registering the highest growth for any vehicle in the top 10 list. Creta sold 1,20,035 units in FY21 as against 82,074 units in FY20, up by a massive 46 per cent. Brezza sales fell 14.4 per cent in FY21 to 94,635 units.