Most automakers on Wednesday reported single-digit growth figures in domestic sales of cars in October, as demand was relatively low despite it being festival season. Some companies, including as Hyundai and Ford, also reported declines in their domestic sales last month.
Growth was poor because of the high base effect – where companies secured high sales in the corresponding month of the previous year, making the year-on-year growth look less. All festivals last year, including Dussehra, were in October, while the festival was celebrated in September this year.
The country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, saw its India sales rise 9.9% year-on-year, to 1.36 lakh units. Toyota Kirloskar Motor registered 6.5% growth, at 12,403 units.
Maruti Suzuki’s compact cars segment – the Swift, Dzire and Baleno models – saw sales jump almost 25% to 62,480 units. Sales of the smaller cars, including Alto and WagonR, declined by 4.2%.
Mahindra and Mahindra’s sales grew marginally, from 48,729 units in October 2016 to 48,818 this October. Tata Motors’ domestic car sales rose 1% to 16,475 units.
Hyundai’s sales in India fell to 49,588 units from 50,017 units in the same month last year.
In the two-wheeler segment, TVS Motor’s domestic sales declined to 2,70,372 units, against 2,72,229 units last October.
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