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.
Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors reported a decline in wholesales in September as the companies curtailed dispatches to dealers to reduce inventory build-up amid a decline in demand. Maruti Suzuki India reported a 4 per cent dip in total domestic passenger vehicle wholesales last month to 144,962 units compared to 150,812 units in the year-ago month. The auto major said sales of mini segment cars, comprising Alto and S-Presso, grew marginally to 10,363 units against 10,351 units in September 2023.
The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday reported 14 per cent increase in total wholesales at 159,044 units in November. The company had dispatched 139,184 units to dealers in November 2021, MSI said in a statement. Last month, the company's domestic sales rose 18 per cent to 139,306 units as against 117,791 units in November 2021, it added.
Aided by robust demand, automobile retail sales in India rose by 11 per cent last year as compared to 2022, dealers' body FADA said on Monday. The overall domestic automobile retail sales stood at 2,38,67,990 units in the 2023 calendar year as compared to 2,14,92,324 units in 2022. Passenger vehicle sales stood at 38,60,268 units last year, up 11 per cent from 34,89,953 units in 2022.
Passenger vehicle retail sales in India witnessed a 10 per cent on-year jump in July driven by new model launches and enhanced discounts, industry body FADA said on Monday. Total passenger vehicle retail sales rose to 3,20,129 units in July, as compared to 2,90,564 units in July 2023. "Dealers reported benefits from good product availability, attractive schemes, and a wider range of products," the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) vice president C S Vigneshwar said in a statement.
Analysts said the demand recovery in two-wheeler and car segments was skewed towards the semi-urban and rural markets.
However, notable absentees from the expo will be Honda, Toyota, Ford, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover along with two-wheeler majors Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Co.
Vehicle sales across categories registered a decline of 8.62 per cent to 20,86,358 units from 22,83,262 units in May 2018.
Hybrids have helped Maruti acquire leadership in SUVs, a segment that was never its forte. Toyota has also risen with the hybrid tide to clock its highest-ever annual sales in 2023.
The challenges of transition to stricter emission norm BS-VI from BS-IV and compliance to new safety norms thereby making vehicles costlier are lurking around the sector.
Consumer sentiments have been dampened due to several factors like tight liquidity, high insurance, and high costs
Passenger vehicle wholesales in India declined by 66 per cent to 88,045 units in May as compared to April this year as lockdowns across various states impacted dispatches to dealers, auto industry body SIAM said on Friday. Passenger vehicle wholesales in April stood at 261,633 units. As per the latest data by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), two-wheeler dispatches to dealers dropped by 65 per cent to 3,52,717 units, compared to 9,95,097 units in April.
From Hyundai to Tata Motors, automakers are staring at a bleak future. With no succor provided in the Budget, the pain for companies is likely to continue for the next two quarters.
The cess levied on top of the maximum 28 per cent tax rate on petrol vehicles with capacity to carry 10-13 persons has been reduced to 1 per cent and the same for diesel vehicles has been cut to 3 per cent.
Passenger vehicle sales continue to drop in June; Maruti, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Toyota witness decline. Mahindra & Mahindra, however, reported a 4 per cent growth.
As the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic abates, India's automakers are hopeful of a quick recovery in sales volumes, led by better rural sentiment, low interest rates, improved availability of finance and a gradual uptick in business and economic activity. In fact, companies have started to ramp up production already, encouraged by high order books and the growing preference for private transport in both rural and urban areas as a means to avoid infections. In early April, the industry had been bullish as the sales trend for March showed that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had been left behind. The total vehicle sales had grown by 77 per cent, albeit on a lower base, and for the past few months, sales had consistently touched 300,000 units per month.
PV registrations in this year's festive period stood at 287,717 units as against 333,456 units in the corresponding period last year, down 14 per cent. Two-wheeler registrations also fell by 13 per cent to 15,83,276 units as against 18,11,703 units in the year-ago period.
The journey ahead, however, will not be easy, with the price of diesel, the most preferred fuel of the oil-guzzling SUVs, going up steadily.
Both are finding it difficult to sell one each of their plants -- Chennai Maraimalai Nagar (Ford) and Talegaon near Pune (GM) -- and are finding the road blocked by employee severance snarl-ups, report Sohini Das and Shine Jacob.
The Volvo V90 Cross Country could make Indians fall in love with station wagons, says P Tharyan.
Car sales rose 67 per cent in November, the highest since February 2004, and many in the industry haven't stopped partying since this number was announced by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
This car is a real treat for hardcore off-roaders, the ones who know how to deploy the differential locks, says P Tharyan
Cumulative sale at India's top six passenger vehicle (PV) makers dropped 0.7 per cent to 267,000 units, from 269,000 a year before.
Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra and Toyota reported low single-digit sales growth for the month owing to weak market sentiment
Renault Kwid could be the new frontrunner in the 1-litre car segment, says P Tharyan.
Built on the Ford Figo platform, this car is a lot different because it has got a wider track, a better ride height, new set of 15-inch tyres wrapped around in smart black alloys and a ground clearance of 190 mm, says P Tharyan.
After a year of industrial unrest, the big boys of the automobile industry in the Gurgaon-Manesar belt are set to initiate negotiations to settle wage agreements.
The bike is extremely thrilling right from scratch and I couldn't help falling in love with its distinct character, says Aakash Paul.
The ongoing Detroit Motor Show has plenty of interesting cars this time round
The redi-GO will take on Maruti Suzuki's best-seller Alto, Hyundai's Eon, and Renault's Kwid
Volkswagen Tiguan's refreshing design and array of features could give its competitors run for their money, says Joshua David Luther.
The new Toyota Yaris will surely instil confidence among its users when it comes to performance and safety, says P Tharyan.
The India Bike Week in Goa was a celebration of the joy of biking
Has Volvo Cars set the cat among the pigeons? Yes, the compact luxury SUV segment in India will not be the same with the entry of the XC40, says P Tharyan.
We find out how the Nano factory has changed Sanand, from a sleepy village to a town bustling with activity and development.
The all-new Land Rover is not just a capable car on different terrains, but also makes for an exceptionally comfortable ride experience, says P Tharyan
The Toyota Fortuner returns in a sleek, feature-packed avatar, writes Joshua David Luther
The Hyundai i20 is the classiest looking vehicle of the three -- the Jazz, while not exactly a bad looker, is a bit plain Jane (but, of course, classicists may prefer this aesthetic, says Aakash S Paul. But if you are on the lookout for a combination of space and sporty performance, the new Honda Jazz is the best-suited car for you.
The AMT variant comes with a turbo charged diesel engine which produces 108.5bhp@4000 rpm and a peak torque of 245Nm@1750rpm
