May was a month of mixed fortunes for automobile makers with some companies doing well, and others unable to match the sales numbers of May 2012 because of a sluggish economy and the continued negative sentiment among customers.
While majors such as Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) and Tata Motors saw a decline in sales in passenger vehicles, others such as Honda Cars India and General Motors India reported good numbers thanks to new launches such as the Honda’s Amaze and GM’s Chevrolet Enjoy.
“We expanded our operating universe with the new Honda Amaze which continues to receive great response from the first time buyers and consumers looking for a family car,” Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice-President – Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars, said. The company sold 6,036 units of Amaze in May.
Market leader Maruti Suzuki’s exports also declined by 27 per cent to 6,856 units during the month compared with 9,406 units in the corresponding month last year (see table).
Hyundai Motor India’s sales picked up marginally in both domestic and export segments compared with the same month last year.
Tata Motors passenger car sales dropped 46 per cent year-on-year during the month, while Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s sales declined 35 per cent.
Renault India’s sales jumped multi-fold over May 2012 with the Duster SUV turning a big seller at 5,146 units.
In the two-wheeler segment, TVS Motor Company’s sales fell 8 per cent on year-on-year basis.
While India Yamaha Motor saw a jump in sales, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter had a marginal growth. The market growth is expected to continue, with the launch of the new ‘Ray Z’ specifically targeting men, which will help Yamaha increase sales, the company said.
In the commercial vehicles’ segment, Eicher Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra had marginal growth.
However, Tata Motors’ sales were also down compared to May 2012. Ashok Leyland’s CV sales fell 16 per cent to 7,267 units.