The reducing price gap between petrol and diesel has made a dent on Maruti Suzuki diesel car sales in India.

The company’s sale of diesel cars in the first quarter of the current financial year has dropped to 50 per cent from 58 per cent in 2012-13. In 2013-14, it was 53 per cent.

The price gap between diesel and petrol is now ₹9 and if it continues, the contribution of diesel cars is likely to stabilise in the range between 45-50 per cent in the total sales, Ram Suresh Akella, General Manager and Commercial Business Head (South), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, said.

Annual sales

Last year, the company had sold 1.2 million units in all categories put together and Maruti has emerged as the foremost diesel car manufacturer in terms of volumes, he added.

Addressing the media at the launch of Ciaz here on Tuesday, Akella said that Maruti has registered a 44.7 per cent growth in the first half of the current fiscal from April to September when the automobile industry witnessed single-digit growth.

The company recorded 15.8 per cent growth in the corresponding period last year when the industry registered a 2.9 per cent fall in sales. The industry witnessed declining volumes for the first time in 14 years, he added.

The focus on rural market also helped improve sales, registering a 34 per cent growth in volumes during April to September, he said. Out of every 100 cars sold today, 34 go to rural areas, he said, recalling that the contribution of rural sales was in single digit 5-6 years back.

Besides, various strategies, including exchange offers, finance options etc have contributed to the sales growth. The company is expecting a double-digit growth in the current fiscal also with the improvement in consumer sentiments as well as decline in fuel prices which are very positive as far as the industry is concerned, he said.

Referring to the Kerala market, Akella said the State is the biggest in all the 18 regions with a market share of 53 per cent in the first six months of the current fiscal, a growth of 2.2 per cent over the corresponding period. Kerala contributes close to 10 per cent of all India sales volumes.

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