Domestic car sales up 4 pc in April

Domestic car sales showed their upward trend for the third consecutive month with April sales registering 4.20 per cent growth after prolonged decline that started in the second half of 2008.

According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), domestic passenger car sales in April went up to 1,02,899 units from 98,752 units in the same month last year, but it is too early to predict a recovery for the segment.

Total two-wheeler sales in April also surged by 13.71 per cent to 7,00,995 units compared with 6,16,468 units in the same period last year. Bike sales, during the same month, was up 12.11 per cent at 5,62,357 units as against 5,01,592 units in the corresponding month a year ago, SIAM said.

SIAM, however, said it is too early to say that the country's auto mart is on a recovery path.

"On a month-on-month basis, all the segments, except for the two-wheeler, recorded lesser sales compared with last month. Signs are not very encouraging and things are still very sensitive," SIAM Senior Director Sugato Sen said.

"The growth that we are seeing is mainly because of the low base effect of the last year," he added. The industry witnessed a total vehicle sales of 8,94,058 units as against 8,07,183 units in April this year, up 10.76 per cent, SIAM said.

In the passenger car segment during April, sales of car market leader Maruti Suzuki India increased by 8.61 per cent to 56,221 units compared to 51,766 units in the same month last year, SIAM said.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd also registered a growth rate of 3.49 per cent at 22,241 units as against 21,492 units a year ago. Tata Motors' sales were marginally up at 11,202 units, while the same stood at 11,193 units in April last year.

In the motorcycle segment, market leader Hero Honda registered a 25.87 per cent surge with total sales of 3,48,132 units in April compared to 2,76,580 units in the year-ago period.

Rival Bajaj Auto's sales, however, plummeted by 22.88 per cent at 1,06,516 units as against 1,38,117 units in the corresponding month last year, SIAM said.

Chennai-based TVS Motor Co too registered a fall of 10.06 per cent in sales at 44,238 units as against 49,186 units. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, however, saw its bike sales rising by 93.55 per cent at 39,136 units compared to 20,220 units in the year-ago period.

In the scooter segment, the total sales increased by 19.91 per cent at 97,129 units as against 81,002 units a year ago, SIAM said. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India registered growth of 13.47 per cent at 53,779 units as against 47,396 units in the same month last year.

According to the SIAM figures, Hero Honda's scooter sales were up by over two-fold at 15,225 units as against 5,832 units last year. TVS Motor's scooter sales were, however, down by 3.27 per cent at 17,805 units as against 18,406 units last year.