Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor, Honda Cars, and Mercedes-Benz are among the carmakers that ended 2014 with significant sales numbers in India.
New launches (which began with the Auto Expo in February 2014), excise duty cuts announced by the Government and reduction in fuel prices all contributed to this sales growth.
Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger carmaker, reported record sales of 11.52 lakh units between January and December 2014 against 10.34 lakh units in the previous year. The company has also announced that this fiscal will be one of the best in terms of volumes. Maruti recorded the highest-ever sales in 2010 when it sold 10.60 lakh vehicles.
Similarly, India’s second largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), sold 4.10 lakh units last year, up 8 per cent from 3.80 lakh units sold in 2013.
“We surpassed our targets of selling four lakh vehicles in the domestic market by adding new products such as Xcent, Elite i20 and Santa Fe to our robust product portfolio,” said BS Seo, Managing Director and Chief Executive.
He said the company expects to continue its growth in 2015, especially with new products coming during the year.
Honda Cars India sold around 1.80 lakh units last year, up 67 per cent from around 1.08 lakh units sold in the previous year.
“Two successful launches of the City and the Mobilio, coupled with strong demand for all models throughout the year, have contributed to 67 per cent growth in Honda sales in 2014. Honda’s fast expanding dealer network in tier-III markets has further contributed to this sales growth,” said Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice-President – Marketing & Sales. Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India saw its strongest sales in 2014. It sold 10,201 units, a growth of 13 per cent against 9,003 units in 2013.
Policy push“We are satisfied that our customer-oriented efforts have paid off well. With this second consecutive successful year, we are now more confident and focused on continuing our growth momentum in India, which we achieved amid increasingly challenging market conditions,” said Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and Chief Executive.
However, according to analysts, these few companies with ‘record breaking’ sales cannot make the industry grow, till the Government makes a headway in policies such as infrastructure and cut interest rates.
“The companies made record sales because they focussed on each segment and sub-segments as per customer expectations. But these are short-lived and the companies should continue with such momentum to retain their market shares,” said Abdul Majeed, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
For example, neither home-grown companies Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors, nor US-based Ford Motor and General Motors, could end the year in a positive note.