New Delhi:
The domestic auto sector has continued its downturn in May. Almost all the auto majors have recorded a slump in their sales in the month of May.
"The market continues to be tough for the auto industry with two consecutive months of such a high de-growth. It is unprecedented in the last two decades. After elections, we were expecting an upswing which has not yet come. Factors like liquidity that is affecting capital to auto sector along with increase in fuel prices have remained a challenge to revive consumer sentiments," HCIL Senior Vice President and Director, Sales and Marketing Rajesh Goel said.
The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Saturday reported a 22 per cent decline in sales at 1,34,641 units in May.The company had sold 1,72,512 units in May 2018, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.Domestic sales declined by 23.1 per cent to 1,25,552 units as against 1,63,200 units in the year ago month, it added.
Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) has reported 3 per cent decline in total sales at 45,421 units in May.The company had sold 46,848 units in the same month last year, M&M said in a statement.In the domestic market, sales were down 1.7 per cent to 43,056 units last month compared to 43,818 units in May 2018.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reported 6.2 per cent decline in total vehicle sales to 13,066 units in May, as against 13,940 in the same month last year.In the domestic market, the company reported sales of 12,138 units last month, down 7.4 per cent as compared to 13,113 units in May 2018, TKM said in a statement.Sales of Maruti mini cars comprising Alto and WagonR stood at 16,394 units as compared to 37,864 units in May last year, down 56.7 per cent.
Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) reported 27.87 per cent decline in domestic sales to 11,442 units in May as against 15,864 units in the same month last year. HCIL said it also exported a total of 450 units during last month.
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The company is still hopeful that sales will revive due to favourable indicators on monsoon and expected actions by the new government, Goel noted.
Sales of Maruti cars in compact segment, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were down 9.2 per cent to 70,135 as against 77,263 units earlier.Mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold 3,592 units as compared to 4,024 units in the same month a year ago.
Sales of utility vehicles, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga, were down 25.3 per cent to 19,152 as compared to 25,629 units in the year-ago month.Exports in May were down by 2.4 per cent at 9,089 units as against 9,312 units in the corresponding month last year, the company said.
Exports dropped by 21.9 per cent to 2,365 units as against 3,030 units in the year-ago month.M&M in its passenger vehicles segment — which includes UVs, cars and vans — it sold 20,608 vehicles in May this year, against 20,715 vehicles in the same month last year.
In the commercial vehicles segment, the company sold 17,879 vehicles as against 18,748 units earlier.In the medium and heavy commercial vehicles segment, M&M sold 637 vehicles for the month.
"While consumer sentiment and demand continued to be subdued during the pre-election phase, our focus has been on correcting the channel inventory," said Rajan Wadhera, President, Automotive Sector, M&M Ltd.
"Now, with a stable government at the centre and the forecast of a near normal monsoon, we hope to see an improvement in consumer sentiment over the next few months," he added.