Maruti Celerio to be priced at Rs 4.99 lakh for limited period

New Delhi: Responding to falling demand for small cars in India, Maruti Suzuki has announced that it will launch a new Dream Edition variant for three models – the Alto K10, S-Presso, and Celerio – all of which will be priced at Rs 4.99 lakh. This would result in the Celerio’s price reducing by Rs 38,000 as the entry-level LXI is currently priced at Rs 5.37 lakh. For the Alto K10, the Dream Edition will slot between the mid-spec LXI (Rs 4.84 lakh) and VXI (Rs 5.06 lakh) variants, while for the S-Presso, its Dream Edition variant will be positioned between the entry-level Standard (Rs 4.27 lakh) and LXI (Rs 5.02 lakh) trims.

“We’ve seen that in the premium hatchback there’s good traction now and we’ve been able to rejuvenate the segment. Contribution of premium hatch segment is 43 percent in May. In June, we would like to focus on the small entry car segment. We’re launching a Dream Edition based on the feedback of our target customers. We’re focussing on utility and convince of the customer. This is valid for the month of June for now,” Partho Banerjee, sales and marketing head, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said. In a bid to boost sales, Maruti Suzuki is launching a limited-run “Dream Edition” series for some of its popular hatchback models. These special editions, available only in June, will be equipped with additional features to enhance customer appeal. Mr. Banerjee, a company spokesperson, elaborated that the Dream Editions will benefit from “further utility features like reverse parking security systems” and “some infotainment systems also getting enhanced.”

This announcement comes amidst a slightly sluggish sales period for Maruti Suzuki. The company’s two key segments, encompassing models like the S-Presso, Baleno, Celerio, Ignis, and the recently launched Swift, witnessed a decline in sales from May 2023 to May 2024 (78,108 units vs 83,655 units). Maruti’s overall domestic sales for May 2024 reached 1,46,694 units, representing a marginal increase of just 0.1% compared to May 2023 (1,46,596 units). Looking at the broader industry, overall vehicle sales in India grew by 4.4% in May 2024 (3,50,257 units) compared to May 2023 (3,35,436 units). Maruti Suzuki’s launch of the Dream Edition series is a strategic move to capitalize on this positive industry trend and potentially reignite sales momentum for some of their core hatchback models.