Car sales increase marginally

Our Corporate Bureau

New Delhi, Dec 15: Car sales registered a rise for the second consecutive month this year clocking a marginal 1.8 per cent increase in November, as auto manufacturers including Hyundai Motor India, Tata Engineering (Telco), Fiat and Ford India posted increased sales.

However, sales of market leader Maruti Udyog and Hindustan Motors dropped while Daewoo Motors India did not disclose its sales figures for the review month.

Total car sales stood at 42,740 units over 41,986 cars sold in November 00, according to the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers on Saturday. Cumulative sales (April-November) stood at 3.5 lakh cars, a 4.2 per cent drop over 3.7 lakh cars in the year-ago period, the data showed.

Maruti Udyog recorded a 11.1 per cent dip selling 23,994 cars in November over 27,007 cars in the year-ago month.

Commercial vehicles sales, a barometer of economic growth, rose 7.8 per cent to 10,297 units from 9,548 units, due to a rise in medium and heavy vehicles sales.

Multi-utility vehicles (MUVs) recorded a 14.3 per cent jump at 10,456 units over 9,146 units in the year-ago month.

In the two-wheeler segment, scooter continued its revival, posting a 15 per cent rise with sales of 79,560 units during November.
Motorcycles sales also increased 34.8 per cent at 2.6 lakh units over 1.9 lakh units sold in the year-ago month. But, moped sales declined 19.2 per cent to 45,026 units while three-wheelers went up 19.2 per cent at 16,085 units.

Sales of Hyundai Motor India rose 15.1 per cent to 7,139 cars in November from 6,202 units in the year-ago month.

The Indian arm of Italy’s Fiat SpA sold 2,623 cars, a 266.3 per cent jump over 716 cars due to the success of the Palio.

Telco sales increased 113.8 per cent to 5,185 cars, but Hindustan Motors slipped 38.3 per cent to 1,150 cars.

Indian subsidiaries of US-automakers Ford Motor Co and General Motors registered a 5.5 per cent and 17.5 per cent rise selling 1,174 and 510 cars, respectively.

Sales of Honda Siel and Mercedes Benz India also went up by 19.9 and 48.2 per cent to 879 and 86 cars, respectively.

All the MUV makers recorded positive sales during the review month. Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) and Telco posted 17 and 1.6 per cent rise at 5,300 and 1,817 units, respectively. Sales of Toyota Kirloskar, Maruti, Bajaj Tempo and HM also moved up 15.3, 14.5, 31 and 26.2 per cent to 2,100, 529, 431 and 279 MUVs, respectively.

In the commercial vehicle segment, medium and heavy (M&H) vehicles sales rose 15.7 per cent to 6,358 units but light commercial vehicles (LCV) dipped 3.4 per cent to 3,939 units.

Market leader Telco’s M&H sales jumped 37.3 per cent to 4,536 units but LCVs dropped 8.1 per cent to 2,111 vehicles.

Domestic scooter sales increased due to a 20.7, 25.2 and 22.1 per cent rise recorded by Bajaj Auto, Maharashtra Scooters and TVS Motor Co which sold 33,019, 6,495 and 15,299 scooters, respectively, during November. But Kinetic Motor Co and LML saw sales dip 3.7 and 29.8 per cent to 9,290 and 10,133 units, respectively.

Motorcycles, continued their upswing in the domestic market, thanks to good sales by all the players including Hero Honda Motors, Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor Co and Yamaha Motor.

Sales of Hero Honda went up 38.7 per cent to 1.33 lakh motorcycles in November from 96,232 units sold in the corresponding period last year.

Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor recorded a 10.7 and 26.8 per cent rise in motorcycles sales selling 63,105 and 40,116 units, respectively. Yamaha Motor and Royal Enfield Motors witnessed a 125.8 and 69.1 per cent rise with sales of 15,701 and 2,326 motorcycles, respectively.

New entrant Kinetic Engineering’s sales stood at 3,762 units while LML sold 5,873 units, a 96.6 per cent jump over 2,987 units sold a year ago.