Automobile makers report robust sales in September

NEW DELHI - Indian automobile manufacturers reported robust sales in September, helped by high disposable incomes, low-cost loans and new launches ahead of the festival season.

Market leader Maruti Suzuki reported its highest-ever total monthly sales of 108,006 units - a 29.6 percent increase over 83,306 units for the corresponding period last year.

“This is the highest ever total monthly sales by the company. Previous highest was 104,971 units in August 2010,” it said in a statement.

According to the company, September 2010 was also the fourth time the company’s monthly sales crossed 1 lakh (100,000) mark.

Sales of compact car A2 segment comprising of Alto, Wagon-R, Zen, Swift, Ritz and A-Star grew at 31.3 percent and stood at 68,921 units over the corresponding period last year, while it registered a massive growth of 43.2 percent sales of its mid-sized (A3) segment comprising SX4 and D’Zire at 10,531 cars, the statement said.

The country’s second largest car manufacturer, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), posted its highest ever domestic monthly sales with a rise of 14 percent over the same period last year which stood at 31,751 units.

Exports, however, dipped 24.3 percent to 19,690 units from 25,999 units in September last year.

The company’s total sales for last month stood at 51,441 units as against 53,802 units in the corresponding period of last year, a decline of 4.4 percent.

Hyundai Motors expects to consolidate further with the launch of its new i10 and the upcoming festive season.

“Hopefully the festive season will further consolidate the growth. The launch of the new ‘next gen’ i10 should further strengthen our position in the compact car segment,” said Arvind Saxena, HMIL’s director (marketing and sales).

Mumbai-based car manufacturers - Mahindra and Tata - also closed last month with good gains.

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd reported its highest ever monthly sales figure which grew at 24 percent for September as against the same period last year and stood at 35,177 units.

Exports of the largest sports utility vehicle and tractor manufacturer in the country grew by 86 percent during the same period.

Tata Motors’ total sales of its commercial and passenger vehicles for last month grew by 23 percent over the corresponding period last year at 64,668 vehicles.

According to the company, its domestic sales of commercial and passenger vehicles increased by 20 percent for September this year at 59,611 units as against 49,650 units sold last year.

General Motors too reported a robust upswing in sales at 8,617 units, up 13 percent from same month last year, when the company sold 7,654 units.

The increase in the sales was primarily driven by the Chevrolet Beat, Spark (both hatchbacks) and its sedan Cruze.

Sales of Chevrolet Spark stood at 2,424 units, Chevrolet Beat at 2,753 units and Cruze at 847 units.

Two and three wheeler manufacture TVS Motor Company closed the month with its highest ever monthly sales rise, up by 31 percent compared to the same period in the previous year.

The company’s two-wheeler sales surged 30 percent at 184,783 units as against the same period of 2009. Three-wheeler sales jumped 169 percent to 3,222 units in the period.

The world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero Honda too recorded a strong growth of eight percent for the period at 433,641 units as against the same last year. It was its fifth consecutive month with 400,000-plus sales.