Few makers sell more cars in April 2013

The car industry in India is passing through a phase of sluggishness, stung by volatile fuel prices and uncertain demand among others. Not all manufacturers were able to sell a great number of cars in the month of April this year, compared to the corresponding period last year.

While some carmakers are still trying to sell more cars in a highly-competitive market, a few emerged successful in their venture.

The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday reported 3.1 per cent decline in its total sales in April this year at 97,302 units, having posted total sales of 1,00,415 units in the corresponding month last year.

For April 2013, the company reported its domestic sales at 90,523 units, a marginal rise over 90,255 units in April, 2012. Its exports, last month, went down by 33.28 per cent to 6,779 units from 10,160 units in the year-ago period.

Home-grown Tata Motors reported 14.85 per cent decline in total vehicle sales at 51,160 units in April 2013, selling 60,086 units in the same month last year.

The total passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market stood at 11,570 units in April, down 48.94 per cent from 22,658 units in the same month last year.

The company’s exports grew by 28.19 per cent to 3,565 units last month from 2,781 units in the same month last year, it added.

Even Toyota Kirloskar Motor witnessed a decline during the period, selling 9,007 units in the domestic market in  April 2013 as compared to 14,378 units in the corresponding month last year, sales dipped by 37 per cent.

American carmaker Ford India also reported decline of 24.03 per cent in total sales in April this year at 7,270 units. The company had sold a total of 9,569 units in the same month last year.

Selling point

Even as some carmakers registered lower sales, there were those who rejoiced.

Another auto major, General Motors India, sold 8,196 vehicles in the month of April 2013, registering growth of 2.4 per cent against 8,005 units sold in the same period last year.
French carmaker Renault India saw more than a ten-fold year-on-year growth in April, registering cumulative sales of 6,314 units for the month of April, 2013. The company had sold 615 units in April 2012.

Meanwhile, Honda Cars India recorded sales of 8,488 units in April 2013 as against 7,075 units in the corresponding month last year. Buoyed by the launch of its family sedan Amaze in April 2013, the car manufacturer registered a growth of 20 per cent.

The country’s second-largest carmaker Hyundai Motor India reported 4.30 per cent rise in total sales at 56,954 units in April, 2013. The company had sold 54,606 units in the corresponding month of previous year.

In the domestic market, the company recorded decline of 7.60 per cent in sales at 32,403 units compared to 35,070 units in the year-ago period, it added.

Meanwhile, Mahindra & Mahindra reported modest 1.76 per cent increase in its total sales at 41,432 units in April 2013. The company had sold 40,715 units in the same month in 2012.

In April this year, Mahindra & Mahindra’s domestic sales stood at 39,902 units as against 39,295 units in the same month last year, up 1.54 per cent.
DH News Service