VW Gol Defeats Maruti Suzuki Alto to Become World's top Selling Car

Maruti Suzuki Alto which was the top selling car of the world for two consecutive years, has been defeated by Volkswagen Gol in 2012. As against 2,86,833 Altos sold in the year 2012, Volkswagen sold a total 2,93,293 units of Gol worldwide in the same period, becoming world's largest selling small car. While VW Gol and Alto grabbed the top two slots, Italian auto giant Fiat's small car Uno came at no. 3 registering 2,55,838 sales last year.

Buyer's shift towards diesel cars, availability of other options (Competitors) and uneven economic conditions have been the three major reasons behind Maruti Alto's comparatively lower performance in the year 2012, however it is the top selling car for the 8th consecutive year in India. One more reason that the Alto's sales dipped by 8% was the company's focus on launching the next generation Alto 800 as a replacement, which too created the gap. On the other hand, VW Gol has been the top seller in the South American markets, world's one of the largest small car markets for years. Gol's closets rival Uno, which too sells great in numbers, procured the no. 3 position in 2012.

Speaking on the same, a Maruti Official said to reporters, “It has been a bad year for petrol cars and perhaps that is most visible in the case of Alto,”, he further adds, “While diesel cars have grown by over 40%, petrol cars declined by 15% this year. Also, the new Alto 800 will only gain momentum next year, so there is every chance that it will be back on top.”

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