India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki aims to sell 100,000 cars in February in the

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domestic market despite market expectations of a slowdown in sales owing to tightening of interest rates and higher fuel and car prices.

Maruti Suzuki sold 100, 422 cars in the country in January, higher by 24 per cent over January last year when it had sold 81,087 cars. Sales are thus expected to grow 18-20 per cent in February over the 84,765 cars it sold last February.

Mayank Pareek, managing executive officer (marketing), said the February performance would be partially helped by advance demand in anticipation of an excise duty hike during the budget on February 28. “However, brisk sales are not happening at dealers’ end like last year,” he added, indicating that fuel prices have risen by 17 per cent and interest rates by 23 per cent so far this financial year.

Analysts and industry body Siam (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) have predicted that industry sales growth rate will halve to 12-15 per cent this year from 31 per cent achieved in 2010. Pareek said the company would pass on the entire amount to customers if an increase in excise duty was announced in the budget.

Maruti Suzuki on Tuesday also launched a diesel variant of its SX4 mid-sized sedan, aiming to gain a larger foothold in the upper mid-sized sedan segment where its monthly sales are just around 1,500-1,600 units. The diesel SX4 will go on sale with two variants priced at Rs 774,000 (Vdi) and Rs 862,000 (Zdi) (ex-showroom New Delhi) with a mileage of 21.5 kmpl. The car sports a turbo 1.3 DDiS engine. The car will compete with the likes of Volkswagen Vento diesel (Rs 799,000) and Hyundai Verna (Rs 787,000). “The new age diesel technology as offered by SX4 is high on power and performance, while being low on emissions. SX4 diesel offers an economical and punchier ride,” said Shinzo Nakanishi, MD and CEO, MSI.

Automakers are betting on diesel models because of higher mileage. About 54 per cent of the 12,000 cars sold monthly in the upper mid-sized segment are diesel. “More than 60-65 per cent customers prefer diesel variants for models which offer both petrol and diesel variants. This trend is increasing,” Pareek said.

For Maruti, the proportion of diesel cars sold in its portfolio has risen to 20 per cent this year from seven per cent in 2007.