Auto sales continued their good run in September with some carmakers recording their highest-ever numbers in the bargain.
The first was Maruti Suzuki that posted sales of 1,08,006 units, compared with 83,306 units in the same month last year. The company had crossed the one-lakh mark in August too and sources say it is on course to ending this fiscal with sales of 1.2 million units.
Its closest rival, Hyundai Motor India, ended the month selling 51,441 units of which domestic sales peaked to an all-time high of 31,751 cars, though exports dropped by 24 per cent from nearly 26,000 units to 19,690 units. The company is betting big on its refreshed i10 doing the trick for the rest of the fiscal.
Experts believe that one of Hyundai’s potential growth drivers in the near future is the new compact car tipped to sport a Rs 2.5-lakh price tag. It was due for launch next year but the latest update is that this will happen only in 2012.
Tata Motors reported domestic car sales of 25,527 units (20,752) which included 1,650 of its ally, Fiat. Nano sales totalled 5,520 units when market expectations were upwards of 9,000. The Indica range posted 6,258 units while the Indigo family did better selling 8,783 cars. Dealers say response to the Manza has been “overwhelming.”
Mahindra & Mahindra, like Maruti, recorded its highest ever sales in September with 35,177 (28,434) units, of which exports accounted for 1,311 (703) units. The utility-vehicle flagship business accounted for half this number at 16,537. The four-wheel pick-ups reported sales of 9,255 units while three-wheelers totalled 6,005. The welcome news was the performance of the Logan sedan whose sales touched 1,000 units.
Ford India reported an over two-fold jump in sales to 8,380 units in September on the back of a good response to its latest small car, Figo. While General Motors India saw sales climbing by 12.58 per cent to 8,617 units in September, Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported an 8.47 per cent jump in sales at 6,235 units during the month. Honda Siel Cars India reported 33.38 per cent jump during the month at 7,728 units
Two-wheelers
The country’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda reported an 8.06 per cent jump in sales in September at 4,33,641 units. The company had sold 4,01,290 units in the corresponding month last year, the company said in a statement. Besides, for the fifth consecutive time, the company recorded more than four lakh dispatch sales in a single month.
TVS Motor Company touched an all-time high of 188,005 (143,753) units of which bikes and scooters accounted for 184,783 units. Exports were up nearly 90 per cent to 19,365 (10,272) units.
India Yamaha Motor reported 13.53 per cent increase in its total sales in September at 33,944 units, up from 29,900 units in the same month last year.
MoneyGrab 