Auto sector produces mixed results in July

Mahindra & Mahindra's July sales down 21.17%

Auto-maker Mahindra & Mahindra on Thursday reported 21.17 per cent decrease in its total sales at 37,096 units in July, 2013.

The company had sold 47,059 units in the same month in 2012, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said in a statement.

In July this year, M&M's domestic sales stood at 34,490 units as against 42,799 units in the same month last year, down 19.41 per cent.

Total sales of passenger vehicles, including Scorpio, XUV500, Xylo, Bolero and Verito, stood at 15,530 units as against 22,011 units in July, 2012, down 29.44 per cent.

Sales of the company's commercial vehicles, including Gio and Maxximo mini-trucks, were also down 6.45 per cent at 13,740 units as against 14,688 units in July, 2012, it said.

Its three-wheelers sales declined by 12.79 per cent to 4,490 units during July, 2013 from 5,149 units in the same month last year. M&M's exports declined by 38.82 per cent to 2,606 units during the month from 4,260 units in July, 2012.

"Over the last few months, the auto industry has been going through one of its worst phases of the last decade with planned shutdowns being taken by companies to correct demand supply mismatch.

The industry is in desperate need for an immediate stimulus from the government" M&M Chief Executive (Automotive Division) Pravin Shah said.

He added that with interest rates remaining unchanged and the rupee plunging to new lows, lowering of excise duty is the need of hour which would rev up demand for auto products, leading up to festive season.

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Maruti sold 83,299 cars in July; sales up 1.3%

Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday reported 1.3 per cent increase in total sales in July at 83,299 units as against 82,234 units in the same month last year.

The company said its domestic sales grew by 5.8 per cent during the month to 75,145 units as against 71,024 units in July last year.

Sales of mini segment cars, including M800, Alto, A-Star and WagonR, grew by 15.8 per cent to 33,587 units as compared to 28,998 in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement.

The company, however, said sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz were down by 11.9 per cent to 13,882 in July this year as against 15,759 units last year.

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MSI said its popular compact sedan Dzire posted 33.6 per cent sales growth during the month under review at 15,249 units as against 11,413 units in July, 2012.

The company's mid-sized sedan SX4 registered a dip of 52.6 per cent to 322 units as against 679 units in the same month last year. There was no sale of premium sedan Kizashi during the month.

Sales of utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara and Ertiga, stood at 4,562 units in July this year, down 37.5 per cent from 7,294 units in the corresponding month last year.

Exports during the month were down 27.3 per cent to 8,154 units as compared to 11,210 units in July last year, MSI said.

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Ford India sales up 48% in July at 12,338 units

Car maker Ford India on Thursday reported 48.23 per cent increase in total sales in July this year at 12,338 units on the back of newly launched compact sports utility vehicle EcoSport.

The company had sold a total of 8,323 units in the same month last year, Ford India said in a statement.

Domestic sales also went up by 26.15 per cent to 7,867 units in July this year as against 6,236 units in the same month last year, it added.

The company exported 4,471 units last month compared to 2,087 units in the year-ago period, a jump of over two-fold. Commenting on the sales performance, Ford India Executive Director, (Marketing, Sales and Service) Vinay Piparsania said: "Despite the near-term difficulty in the economy, our customers have put their trust in the urban SUV EcoSport and with the Figo ranking as the best premium compact car in the prestigious JD Power India vehicle dependability study 2013, we are delighted to achieve the highest-ever sales in our history this month."

The company said the EcoSport received 30,000 bookings in the first 17 days after its launch on June 27. In July, Ford India commenced shipments of the EcoSport to South Africa, Mexico and Aruba.

The company inaugurated a dedicated car parking yard at the Chennai port to handle the increased export vehicle volume more efficiently.

"With Chennai strongly positioned as a regional export hub for Ford, we are excited to register the highest-ever exports too and are hopeful that the Chennai-built vehicles will satisfy customers in international markets," Piparsania said.

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Renault India July sales up two-fold at 3,763 units

Renault India on Thursday reported two-fold increase in sales in July at 3,763 units from 1,776 units in the same period of previous year.

Despite challenging conditions in the automotive market, Renault India achieved sales of 3,763 units in July 2013, growing over two fold year on year, Renault India said in a statement.

"Renault has had a very eventful two years in India, achieving sales volumes, network reach and brand visibility comparable to players who have been present in the industry for more than a decade," Renault India Managing Director Marc Nassif said.

Renault India sold a total of 3,763 units in July, with the Duster accounting for 3,089 units, the Scala 371 units, Pulse 292 units, Fluence 10 units and Koleos 1 unit.

"Duster has played a crucial part not just in Renault's success in India, but also in spearheading the changing landscape of the Indian automotive industry," Renault India Executive Director, Marketing and Sales Sumit Sawhney said.

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Toyota Kirloskar sales down 10% in July

Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Thursday reported 10 per cent decline in its total sales at 14,470 units in July, 2013.

The company had sold 16,062 units in the corresponding month of last year, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said in a statement.

Sales in the domestic market were at 11,515 units in July 2013 as compared to 14,574 units in the corresponding month in 2012, down 20.98 per cent, it added.

During the month, the company exported 2,955 units of the Etios, it added Commenting on sales, TKM Deputy Managing Director and COO (marketing and commercial) Sandeep Singh said: "Market continues to be sluggish and it seems that we are heading for tougher times in view of the current market outlook."