Revved up by Hero Honda and Bajaj, motorcycles closed 2004 with a bang, registering a whopping 51.61 per cent sales rise in December at 4,59,458 units against 3,03,035 units in December 2003 while passenger cars saw a healthy 20.57 per cent jump at 60,156 units (against 50,191 in Dec '03).
Motorcycle sales in the nine months of the fiscal (April-December '04) saw a relatively modest 18.95 per cent growth at 36,66,973 units against 30,82,841 sold in the same period last fiscal, according to figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Friday.
On the other hand, passenger cars saw a 22.02 per cent growth in the nine months at 5,90,610 units against 4,84,019 units sold in April-December '03.
Healthy growth of the economy coupled with easy availability of finance and attractive discounts by companies were among the factors behind the healthy growth in the sector.
Vehicle sales at Hyundai Motor India, the country's second-biggest carmaker, rose 61 per cent in December to 19,929 units, bouyed by healthy domestic and export demand. Domestic sales of the carmaker shot up 99 per cent in the month to 12,430 units.
On the other hand, market leader Maruti Udyog recorded a modest 18.2 per cent sales rise at 43,828 units. In the domestic market, where it is witnessing a decline in the once flagship Maruti 800 sales, it had an 11.4 per cent rise at 37,153 units.
The two-wheeler segment, including scooters, scooterettees and mopeds, had a 41.57 per cent sales growth in the domestic market in December last year at 5,52,529 units against 3,90,280 units.
Scooter/scooterettee sales, primarily contributed by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, saw a 7.85 per cent growth in the month at 70,109 units.
The segment recorded an almost identical growth in the nine months of the fiscal at 7.69 per cent on sale of 7,11,003 units against 6,60,255 units in April-December '03.
Overall, two-wheeler this fiscal saw a 16.25 per cent growth on sale of 46,13,436 units against 39,68,579 units in the same period last fiscal. Commercial vehicles in December witnessed a 20 per cent sales rise at 29,486 units against 24,562 units in December '03.
In the nine months of the fiscal, the commercial vehicles registered an even higher growth as sales moved up 25.51 per cent to 2,23,303 units against 1,77,910 units in the same period last fiscal.
A total of 1,38,200 units, at a growth of 26.32 per cent, were sold in the medium and heavy commercial vehicles segment, led by good demand for Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Eicher Motors vehicles.
Goods carriers, which form the bulk of this segment, had a 31.31 per cent growth at 1,20,854 units against 92,035 units in April-December '03.
Light commercial vehicles saw a 24.23 per cent growth so far this fiscal on sale of 85,103 units. The figure was 68,502 in the nine months of last fiscal and the bulk of the growth has been contributed by the goods carriers where sales moved up 28.68 per cent to cross 70,000 units.
Three-wheelers, meanwhile, had almost flat sales in December, recording a growth of just 2.76 per cent, figures not being very encouraging for Bajaj Auto. Sales in the month stood at 24,987 units against 24,315 units in December '03.
Overall, three-wheeler sales in the nine months of the fiscal moved up 9.44 per cent to 2,22,176 units against 2,03,011 units in April-December '03.
Passenger carriers pushed down the momentum as sales fell marginally, by 0.37 per cent, to 1,27,319 units (1,27,788), even as goods carriers more than made up for it by recording a 26.10 rise at 94,857 units.
The total vehicle sales so far this fiscal moved up 17 per cent to 58,22,963 units against 49,76,842 units in April-December '03, SIAM said.
The figure in December '04 stood at 6,88,072 units, a growth of 36.37 per cent over 5,04,557 units sold in the same month last fiscal.
SIAM said vehicle exports continue to show a positive trend with an overall growth of 32.77 per cent in April-December '04 at 4,53,591 units against 3,41,626 units in the same period last fiscal.
While passenger cars had a 40 per cent growth at 1,21,478 units, commercial vehicles exports were up 75 per cent at 19,931 units.
Two-wheeler exports so far this fiscal jumped by 37.21 per cent to 2,56,765 units and three-wheelers were the only segment to show a decline in foreign shipments, falling by 3.57 per cent to 51,535 units against 53,443 units in April-December '03.
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