Car sales up 9.53% in August, Siam revises growth target for passenger vehicles

New Delhi: Domestic passenger vehicle sales grew for a 14th straight month in August with a 16.68 percent increase, promoting auto industry body Siam to revise upward its growth estimate for the ongoing fiscal to 10-12 percent.

According to the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), passenger vehicle sales in August were at 2,58,722 units as against 2,21,743 units in the same month last year.

Car sales were up 9.53 per cent to 1,77,829 units as against 1,62,360 units in August last year.

"The revival in auto sector has become stronger and we are seeing growth across all vehicles segments... Good monsoon and the 7th Pay Commission have contributed in creating positive consumer sentiments," Siam Director General Vishnu Mathur told reporters here.

Buoyed by the sustained performance, Siam expects growth in the passenger vehicles (PVs) segment for FY17 to be higher than its last estimate.

"Originally we have estimated the growth of the PVs to be 11-13 per cent which was later revised downward to 6-8 per cent. Looking at what is happening and after speaking to our members, it is now felt that the growth will be higher. We should be hitting around 10-12 per cent," Siam Deputy Director General Sugato Sen said.

In April-August period, passenger vehicles sales have grown by 10.74 pen cent to 12,15,569 units as against 10,97,704 units a year-ago.

Demand for passenger vehicles has been driven by new models, especially in SUV category with the likes of Maruti Virata Brezza and Hyundai Creta clocking good numbers.

Mathur said considering marker sentiment, auto industry is set for one of the best festive seasons in about 3-4 years.

In August, market leader Maruti Suzuki India's domestic PV sales grew by 12.29 per cent to 1,19,906 units. It had sold 90,269 cars as against 86,454 units in the same month last year, up 4.41 per cent.

Rival Hyundai Motors India also saw its PV sales up by 6.66 per cent at 43,201 units. The company's car sales were at 34,728 units as against 32,985 units in the year-ago month, up 5.28 per cent.

Homegrown utility vehicles major Mahindra & Mahindra saw PV sales jump by 28.51 per cent in August to 18,246 units. Its utility vehicle sales were at 17,119 units as against 13,307 units in the same month last year, up 28.65 per cent.

According to Siam, total two-wheeler sales in August grew 26.32 per cent to 16,48,883 units compared with 13,05,348 units in the year-ago month.

"Two-wheeler segment is witnessing a good growth as there is a revival in the motorcycle segment with demand returning in the rural market on the back of a good monsoon," Mathur said.

As per Siam data, motorcycle sales last month jumped by 22.19 per cent to 10,05,666 units as against 8,23,051 units a year earlier.

Market leader Hero MotoCorp sold 5,20,226 units as against 4,13,169 units last year, up 25.91 per cent.

Rival Bajaj Auto posted a growth of 26.66 per cent at 1,74,719 units as against 1,37,948 units a year-ago.

However, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) saw its motorcycle sales grow only by 2.8 per cent to 1,29,926 units compared with 1,26,378 units in August last year.

In scooters segment, overall sales zoomed by 32.92 per cent to 5,67,782 units as against 4,27,165 units in the same month last year.

Market leader HMSI posted a growth of 36.29 per cent at 3,36,363 units as against 2,46,791 units in the corresponding month last year.

Hero MotoCorp's scooter sales jumped by 70.96 per cent to 81,015 units as against 47,388 units in year-ago month.

Chennai-based TVS Motor posted scooter sales of 73,761 units compared with 68,346 units in August 2015, a growth of 7.92 per cent.

Sales of commercial vehicles rose by 1.53 per cent to 52,996 units in August, Siam said.

Vehicle sales across categories registered a growth of 23.72 per cent to 20,10,794 units from 16,25,332 units in August 2015, it added.