New Delhi: Leading auto makers managed to
beat the year-end blues posting impressive sales growths in
December, ending year 2009 on a high note.
Auto makers such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra &
Mahindra, General Motors and Hero Honda today reported high
double-digit sales growth in December, the month when sales
are generally low as customers stay away from new buys to
avoid losing out on re-sale when the year of manufacture comes
into play.
Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India's domestic sales
witnessed a jump of 36.5 per cent at 71,000 units against
52,029 units in the year-ago month.
Rival and the country's second largest carmaker Hyundai
Motor India's domestic sales during December surged 42.62 per
cent at 22,252 units, against 15,602 units in the same month
in 2008.
Homegrown auto major M&M said its local sales in December
2009 grew by over two-fold to 22,754 units from 10,253 units
in the same month previous year.
Another carmaker General Motors India's sales also rose
by over two-fold last month at 8,258 units, against 4,041
units in December 2008, making it the highest-ever monthly
sales in the 13 years of its operations in India.
Luxury car maker SkodaAuto reported a 52.05 per cent growth in its sales during December last year at 1,113 units compared with 732 units in the corresponding month previous year.
In the two-wheeler segment, India's largest two-wheeler
maker Hero Honda Motors reported 74.05 per cent jump in its
sales in December 2009 at 3,75,838 units, against 2,15,931
units in the same month a year ago.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 01, 2010, 20:48