International BusinessMaruti expects 10% growth in 2010; unveils concept MPV
The country"s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, today said it expects sales to grow around 10 per cent in 2010.
- Maruti Suzuki: Eeco-nomy van">Maruti Suzuki: Eeco-nomy van - Plan panel to begin Budget discussions in 2-3 weeks - India can outpace China growth in 4-5 yrs: Kaushik Basu - "Banks to take cue from RBI policy to decide rates" - Mineral sector grows 8% in Oct "09 - Budget" 10: Depts, ministries ask for the moon
The company also said that it will bring premium sedans based on concept Kizashi by the end of 2010 into India.
"In 2009, our sales grew by about 22 per cent compared with 2008"s. But since 2008 was a bad year if we look back and compare with the growth two years ago, we have grown by just about 19 per cent," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director Shinzo Nakanishi told reporters at the Auto Expo here.
"So, on an annualised basis we have grown about 9.5-10 per cent in the last two years. We expect the same rate of growth in the calendar year 2010," he added.
The company today unveiled a small multi-purpose concept vehicle (MPV) "rIII" as it looks to create a new segment.
There is a room for creating a new segment in the small MPV and that is what we aim to do, he said. The concept vehicle has been developed by Maruti Suzuki at its research and development centre.
Nakanishi also said towards the end of this year the company would be launching the Kizashi sedans in India. The sedans have already been launched in Japan.
The company is still deciding whether to import the sedans or assemble them in India.