Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has reached a significant milestone by crossing the 1 lakh (retail) sales mark in December 2009. The company sold a total of 100,874 units in December 2009, a record that MSIL executive director Mayank Pareek thinks will take a long time to break. Pareek said that customers usually shy away from purchasing cars in the year-end period. With its 1 lakh plus retail sales in December, however, MSIL has succeeded in breaking this tendency.

One reason for the surge in sales last month could be that most car companies are expected to hike car prices in the New Year due to increasing raw material costs as well as additional costs of upgradation to BS IV norms. Maruti also carried out major promotional campaigns in December, and offered discounts of up to Rs 30,000 on various models. Its second-highest retail sales – 81,800 units – were posted in October 2009.