The Hindu Business Line : Cars drive up 8.8 pc growth in Dec — Two-wheelers stay flat; commercial vehicles down

ENDING the year on a positive note, domestic passenger car sales in December 2005 registered a growth of 8.8 per cent at 65,853 units up from 60,521 units in the same month a year ago, according to sales figures released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

Car market leader Maruti registered a growth of 20.38 per cent with 38,078 units sold as against 31,631 units in the same month the previous year.

Its Korean rival Hyundai reported a drop in domestic sales by 37.71 per cent during the month selling just 7,738 units as against 12,423 units. But, cumulatively for the nine-month period ended December 2005, Hyundai had posted a growth in domestic sales of 13 per cent.

Tata Motors also clocked a growth recording a jump of 36.61 per cent after sales reached 9,730 units as against 7,122 units.

Cumulative domestic car sales during the April-December period, increased by 5.59 per cent to 6,23,666 units this year from 5,90,638 units in the corresponding period last year.

Two wheeler sales remained flat with just 1.74 per cent growth after sales of 5,62,153 units as compared to 5,52,529 units.

Motorcycle sales grew 2.47 per cent at 4,70,848 units, as compared to the 4,59,458 units.

Market leader Hero Honda managed a growth of 6 per cent, clocking 2,38,822 units in December as against 2,25,250 units in the same month last year.

Sales of TVS Motor Co also increased to 64,111 units up by 6.38 per cent units (60,261 units). However, Bajaj Auto's (the second biggest player in the segment) sales declined by 0.49 per cent to 1,37,028 units (1,37,713 units).

Nevertheless, the cumulative bike sales in the April-December period jumped by 16.77 per cent to 42,82,584 units from 36,67,274 units reported in the corresponding period last year.

Scooter and scooterette sales during the April-December period, however, declined by 4.93 per cent to 6,74,837 units from 7,09,865 units.

The commercial vehicles segment, too could not stem the tide, registering a negative growth of almost 5.98 per cent with 27,726 units sold in December 2005 as compared to 29,491 units sold in the same month of the previous year.