Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said the company’s sales may get affected if the monsoon is deficient this year in some parts of the country, especially in the rural areas.

On Tuesday, the weather department lowered its monsoon forecast from ‘below’ normal’ to ‘deficient’.

“Yes, the deficient monsoon prediction is a cause of worry. Sales could be affected in some parts, especially in the rural markets,” Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and Chief Executive, Maruti Suzuki, told reporters here. However, Ayukawa said the company would try to overcome the impact of the deficient monsoon with new product launches and other marketing activities.

The country’s largest passenger cars maker’s rural sales had increased by 23 per cent to 4,15,380 units last year when it sold 12,92,415 units, the highest ever in a financial year.

Maruti had presence in 1.25 lakh villages last year and is targeting to enhance this to 1.5 lakh this year.

On Wednesday, the company launched the diesel variant of its Celerio hatchback, priced between ₹4,66,393 and ₹5,71,484 (ex-showroom, New Delhi). However, the diesel variant Celerio will not carry the auto gear shift option, as in the petrol one.

The company said the new car will offer 27.62kmpl, making it India’s most fuel-efficient car (as per tests conditions). It also marks the global launch of DDiS 125, the first diesel engine designed and developed by Suzuki Motor Corporation, it said. “It is designed to offer a smooth drive and strengthens Celerio’s reputation as a car that offers easy drive in cities as well as on highways,” Ayukawa said.

The car that brought first auto gear shift technology to India now becomes the first to offer compact diesel engine option to Indian car buyers. Maruti, at present, makes 5,000-6,000 units of Celerio a month.

With the launch of Celerio Diesel, the three most fuel-efficient cars in India are all Maruti Suzuki cars – Celerio, DZire and Ciaz – all in diesel engines, he claimed.

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