Suzuki Saudia has announced a 157 per cent growth in sales for its Alto cars during the first five months of 2007, compared to the same period last year.

The increase has been attributed to successful marketing strategies designed to tap into niche market segments such as fast food companies, Suzuki suppliers and government agencies, which together accounted for 73 per cent of the Alto sales, said a spokesman of the company.

Suzuki Saudia, part of Bamarouf Group, is the sole distributor of Suzuki vehicles in Saudi Arabia.

"The rising demand for the Alto is testament to Suzuki's consistency in meeting market demands and having an excellent reputation in the market. All of Suzuki’s vehicles, including the Alto, have been developed according to meticulous research and analysis, incorporating cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency, safety and comfort into the product development," said Ahmed Shamaile, sales manager, Suzuki Saudia.

With many distinctive features, the Alto offers low-fuel consumption, low maintenance cost and excellent safety fixtures such as dual airbags, side impact beams and the disable key - a value-added mechanism that helps deter theft as it prevents the vehicle's keys from being duplicated and allows replacement of keys only at Suzuki Saudia outlets. Another important safety measure is the child-proof door lock for optimum child protection.

While a considerable proportion of the Alto automotives are purchased in bulk by private companies and government institutions such as the KSA Post Office and the Ministry of Health, individual buyers have also greatly contributed to Suzuki’s sales volume, with individual sales growing by 202 per cent during the first five months of 2007 compared to last year for the same period, he said.

The company aims to further increase its sales by appealing to individual national and expatriate consumers, as well as maintaining a monopoly in the fleet sector, said Shamaile.

"The tremendous response we have received has opened new leads to increase our market presence. Studies have shown that the ever-increasing expatriate population in the Kingdom presents a very good opportunity to enhance our market share through direct sales with individual clients, who also represent a significant part of our market," added Shamaile.

"The Alto has contributed 28 percent to the overall sales of Suzuki Saudia, which has helped the company maintain its strong performance in the Saudi market. With the increasing popularity of the Alto among corporate clients, we are confident of furthering our growth agenda by also tapping into the sizeable expatriate market in need of a reliable and comfortable vehicle,” concluded Shamaile. -TradeArabia News Service