Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India on Monday reported a dip in passenger vehicle dispatches to dealers in the domestic market last month as the companies tried to adjust vehicle inventory amid slowing demand. Maruti Suzuki India said it "calibrated supplies" to the dealers, aligning with the industry's retail sales projections amid India-Pakistan conflict and a dip in sales of entry-level cars.
Leading passenger vehicle maker Maruti Suzuki on Saturday reported marginal growth while Hyundai and Tata Motors posted a decline in their sales in February as a slowdown in the market continued with demand remaining muted. On the other hand, Mahindra & Mahindra and Toyota Kirloskar Motor posted double-digit growth riding on their SUV and MPV models.
However, the company has not provided a timeline for the launch of the small electric car.
Passenger vehicle wholesales saw a marginal growth of 4 per cent in June on account of high base effect and muted demand due to severe heatwave conditions in several parts of the country. Overall passenger vehicle dispatches last month stood at 340,784 units, a growth of 3.67 per cent compared with 328,710 units in June 2023.
Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors on Friday reported robust sales for February as demand for sports utility vehicles continued to remain strong. Mahindra & Mahindra, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Honda Cars also witnessed higher vehicle dispatches to dealers last month. February turned out to be the third-best month for sales for the industry ever.
Hero MotoCorp, India's largest two-wheeler maker, has seen a decline in its market share in rural areas since 2018, losing ground to major competitors such as TVS Motor Company, Bajaj Auto, and Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), according to data from JATO Dynamics reviewed by Business Standard. Hero's share of rural two-wheeler sales in India has dropped from 40.4 per cent in 2018 to 33.3 per cent in 2023. In contrast, Bajaj's share increased from 12.7 per cent in 2018 to 13.9 per cent, HMSI's from 21.8 per cent to 22.2 per cent, and TVS' from 15.5 per cent to 17.8 per cent. Suzuki Motorcycle India has also seen its share rise from 1.7 per cent to 2.5 per cent.
Maruti Suzuki India and Hyundai reported single-digit sales growth in July with the sports utility segment continuing to drive overall demand in the market. Mahindra & Mahindra witnessed a 29 per cent increase in passenger vehicle dispatches while Tata Motors saw a marginal increase in the wholesales last month. Maruti Suzuki on Tuesday said its total domestic passenger vehicle sales stood at 152,126 units last month as compared to 142,850 units in the year-ago month, a growth of 6 per cent.
Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Thursday said its new manufacturing facility in Haryana, the company's third in the state, would reach peak production capacity of 10 lakh units per annum in the next eight years entailing a total investment of Rs 18,000 crore. The new facility, which would come at a 800-acre site at IMT Kharkhoda in Sonipat district, will entail total investment of Rs 11,000 crore in the first phase with a production capacity of 2.5 lakh units per annum. The first set of vehicles are expected to roll out from the facility in 2025.
Trouble is brewing at the Gurgaon plant of Suzuki Motorcycle India with workers threatening to go on strike after Holi demanding reinstatement of three suspended colleagues.
Even as India overtakes Japan in automotive sales in 2022, moving to third place for the first time, oddly enough the country's biggest motor show is going to see some big hitters give it a clear miss. Some prominent automotive brands have cited high event costs, negligible returns on investment, poor event management, and unfavourable location as reasons for their reluctance to participate. Major pure-play electric two-wheelers, too, are riding past this year's edition of the Auto Expo.
Two years after it hitched a ride with Hero MotoCorp (Hero), Harley-Davidson (Harley) and the Pawan Munjal-led firm are gearing up to ride into the middleweight (midweight) motorcycle segment (350-850cc) in the world's largest two-wheeler market.
The ongoing elections and overall subdued market sentiment continue to affect the sales momentum
Most of the engines used by Suzuki's two-wheelers in India are manufactured by Maruti at its Manesar plant.
Supporting the all India strike called by 11 trade unions, Suzuki Motorcycle India Employee Union President Anil Kumar said: "As many as 27 workers unions of different factories in the Gurgaon, Manesar, Dharuhera and up to Bawal have agreed to go on strike for a day. So, there will be no production at our plant tomorrow."
Talks between the management and striking workers at the Manesar plant broke down.
Workers at Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd and Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd, who have also gone on strike in support of their colleagues at MSI, are continuing their stir.
The department had also said it would initiate action to derecognise the unions of SPIL and SMIPL.
The company has been hit hard, not only by strike of its own workers, but also due to the supply shortage of engines and transmissions from Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd.
Eyeing Indian mass motorcycle segment, Suzuki Motorcycle India (SMIPL) on Thursday launched Hayate, a 110cc bike, which will cost over Rs 40,000, at the Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi.
"The Manesar plant remains captive in the hands of workers. There is no production possible there. Due to the impact of components from SPIL, production at Gurgaon will be even lower compared to yesterday," a Maruti Suzuki India spokesperson said.
Leading carmakers Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai witnessed a double-digit drop in sales in October on account of the global semiconductor shortage impacting production. Kia India, Honda Cars and MG Motor also saw a fall in dispatches last month as compared with October 2020. However, companies like Tata Motors, Mahindra, Nissan and Skoda managed to post positive numbers last month despite the supply chain challenges.
The cluttered two-wheeler market's newest entrant, Suzuki Motorcycles India, on Tuesday said it is witnessing good demand in the scooters segment, which has resulted in a 60-90 day waiting period for its models.
Japanese automaker Suzuki on Wednesday announced an investment of Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) to more than double its production capacity in India, to 5.4 lakh units per annum by 2012.
Japanese two-wheeler major Suzuki on Monday launched its superbike GSX-R1000 at Rs 12.75 lakh (Rs 1.28 million) (ex-showroom, Delhi) making it the costliest product from the company's stable in the country.
Suzuki Motors on Tuesday launched its second model 'Zeus' -- a 125 cc single cylinder bike in the Indian market, targetting college students and executives.
Suzuki Motorcycle India, a subsidiary of leading Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation, on Tuesday introduced four upgraded models of its existing motorcycles, 'Zeus' and 'Heat'.
Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd plans to enter the premium segment motorcycle market in India with the launch of a 150cc motorcycle by next March. At present, the company has two motorcycles -- Suzuki Heat and Zeus - in the 125cc segment.
Suzuki Motorcycle India is planning to open 100 dealer outlets across the country by the end of June this year.
HMSI is likely to announce a tie-up with Snapdeal for online two-wheeler sales next month.
Suzuki Motorcycle India announced the launch of two new bikes for the domestic market 'Heat' for excessive bike users and 'Zeus' targeted at college students and executives.
Hyundai Motor and Toyota Kirloskar Motor have announced the suspension of manufacturing operations at their respective plants amid coronavirus outbreak. On Sunday, various automakers like Maruti Suzuki India, Honda Cars, Mahindra & Mahindra and Fiat announced a temporary halt in manufacturing operations at their respective facilities.
The Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 have been game changers in the upper part of the mid-size segment, with compelling style and highway capability.
Suzuki has made a great comeback in the 150cc segment with the launch of the Gixxer motorcycle; it's among the top sellers in the segment currently, says Indian automobile website MotorBeam.
While sales of compact cars, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire declined, sales of utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga, increased 26.3 per cent to 19,177 units as compared to 15,178 in the year-ago month.
These bikes were all the craze on Day 1 of Auto Expo 2018's media exclusive.
M&M also saw its domestic passenger vehicle sales grow by 1 per cent, while Toyota Kirloskar Motor witnessed a decline in its PV sales.
Passenger vehicle sales continue to drop in June; Maruti, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Toyota witness decline. Mahindra & Mahindra, however, reported a 4 per cent growth.
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