Almost all car makers improved their sales performance in August this year compared to the previous month. However, sales were not that impressive against the same month of 1999 as several major players posted negative sales growth, including market leader Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL).

Korean auto major Hyundai's Santro topped the chart in its segment by clocking sales of 5,729 units in August this year, pushing Maruti's Zen to the number two slot with the latter selling 5,525 cars.

Daewoo Motors India was also not far behind as its sold 4,497 units of its Matiz during the review month. Indian arm of Italian auto maker Fiat sold just 580 units of Uno.

In the competitive mid-size segment, Hyundai raced past Ford's Ikon selling 1,556 units of its mid-size car Accent in August 2000. Ford was pushed to second position with sales of 1,492 units followed by Maruti Esteem (1,044 units), Honda City (817 units), Opel Corsa (675 units), Daewoo Cielo/Nexia (204 units) and Fiat Siena (129 units).

Maruti Udyog recorded a 20.4 per cent drop in sales at ,795 cars in August this year against 35,869 units in the same month last year.

Honda Siel reported a 9.2 per cent dip in sales to 817 cars during the month from 900 units in August 1999.

Cumulative sales for the April-August period of 2000-01 also increased by 6.19 per cent to 4,050 cars, against 3,814 units in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

Indian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company of USA, Ford India, witnessed a marginal drop in sales of its mid size car Ikon at 1,492 units in August 2000 against 1,502 units in the previous month.

The model was not available in the same month last year.

Daewoo posted a 57 per cent growth at 4,497 units during August this year compared to 2,862 cars in the same month of 1999. Its total sales went up by 174 per cent to 39,284 units during April-August of the current fiscal compared to 14,300 units in the same period of 1999-2000.

General Motors's sales went up by 313.54 per cent to 1,038 cars in the reference month against 251 units in the same month last year.

Hyundai's domestic car sales went up marginally by 2.6 per cent to 7,185 from 7002 units in the same month of 1999.