Domestic car sales rose by 15.2 per cent in March 2003 as the top three automakers, Maruti Udyog, Hyundai and Tata Engineering, reaped benefits of increased demand following an eight per cent excise duty cut in the 2003-04 Budget.

Total sales rose to 67,817 cars from 58,864 units in March last year, data released on Wednesday by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers showed.

Car sales for the year ended March 31, 2003 rose by 6.4 per cent to 5,41,738 units from 5,09,088 units a year earlier, the data showed.

Trucks and buses continued their upward sales drive posting a 10 per cent growth at 22,082 units in March.

Cumulative sales in this segment surged by 30.36 per cent year-on-year to 1,91,201 units over 1,46,671 units.

Sale of utility-vehicles jumped by 34 per cent in March to 15,317 units, largely due to increased sales of Mahindra and Mahindra and Toyota Kirloskar.

Sales in this segment during 2002-03 increased by 9.6 per cent at 1,14,316 units against 1,04,253 units a year ago.

Two-wheeler sales rose by 7.3 per cent in March to 3,60,494 units.

Cumulative two-wheeler sales increased by 16 per cent to 4.87 million units, thanks to motorcycles which clocked impressive growth in sales.

Sale of motorcycles and step-thrus fell by 3.3 per cent in March to 280,000 units, while cumulative sales rose by 28.3 per cent to 3.70 million units.

Scooter and scooterette suffered a 14 per cent decline at 54,747 units during March with fiscal 2003 sales down 8 per cent at 835,000 units.

Moped sales fell to 332,000 units, while sale of three-wheelers increased by 5.6 per cent in March to 20,212 units while cumulative sales increased by 12.8 per cent to 226,000 units.

Multipurpose vehicle sales went up by a marginal 1.2 per cent to 6,218 units, while cumulative sales increased by 15.7 per cent to 52,024 units.