)
Leading car makers Maruti Suzuki India and Hyundai Motor India Ltd posted single digit growth in their domestic sales in December but other companies failed to beat the year-end blues.
Reflecting the prolonged slump in the Indian automobile sector, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ford India, Toyota Kirloskar and General Motors India reported decline in domestic sales.
Maruti said its domestic sales during December 2013 stood at 86,613 units, up 5.5% from 82,073 units in December of the previous year.
The growth was mainly on account of sales of mini passenger cars, including M800, Alto, A-Star and WagonR, which were up 16.7% at 38,286 units, as against 32,797 units in the year-ago period. Sales of compact sedan Dzire grew by 18% to 15,427 units as against 13,076 units in December 2013, the company added.
However, sales of compact cars comprising Swift, Estilo and Ritz were down 14.7% at 19,171 units as against 22,482 units a year ago.
Hyundai Motor India Ltd reported 6.24% increase in domestic sales at 28,345 units during the month from 26,697 units in December 2012.
HMIL Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Rakesh Srivastava, said: "Year 2013 was very challenging and rewarding... Manufacturing operated at 99% capacity utilisation and had the fastest 5 million roll-out in India."
Other companies were unable to beat the year-end blues as customers stay away from purchasing new cars in December because the year of the model changes within in a month, impacting the re-sale value.
M&M domestic sales stood at 36,881 units as against 42,307 in the same month previous year, down 12.82%.
"During the first nine months of the current fiscal, the auto industry has seen a negative growth due to sustained deceleration in economic activity and consequent weakness in consumer and business sentiments," M&M Chief Executive (Automotive Division) Pravin Shah said.
While the immediate turnaround in the auto industry is not expected without certain policy corrections and support, the worst seems to be over, he added.
Likewise, Ford India's domestic sales were down 9.9% to 5,871 units in December as against 6,517 units in the same month previous year.
