Maruti, Tata Motors, Hyundai put up a good show in Feb

Country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Monday reported 8.7 per cent increase in total sales in February at 1,18,551 units as against 1,09,104 units in the same period of last year.

The company said its domestic sales increased by 8.2 per cent during the month to 1,07,892 units as against 99,758 units in February 2014.

Sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR, rose 7.1 per cent to 39,988 units as compared to 37,342 units in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement.

The company said sales of compact segment cars, comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz and Dzire, declined by 6.4 per cent to 42,778 units in February this year as against 45,721 units in same period last year.

MSI said sales of its compact sedan Dzire Tour rose by 95.7 per cent during the month under review at 2,552 units as against 1,304 units in February 2014.

The sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz, which was launched in October 2014, stood at 5,410 units. The company had sold 228 units of SX4 sedan in February 2014.

There was no sale of premium sedan Kizashi during the month. Sales of utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara and Ertiga, rose by 12.1 per cent at 5,863 units in February this year from 5,231 units in the corresponding month last year

Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco -- rose by 13.8 per cent to 11,301 units in February this year as compared to 9,932 units in the same period of previous year. Exports during the month rose by 14 per cent to 10,659 units as compared to 9,346 units in February last year, MSI said.

Tata Motors on Monday reported 10.69 per cent increase in total sales at 44,225 units in February, as against 39,951 units in the same month last year.

Domestic sales of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles grew by 14.15 per cent at 40,314 units as compared to 35,315 units in February 2014, Tata Motors said in a BSE filing.

Sales of passenger vehicles in the domestic market in February stood at 13,767 units, up 21.56 per cent from 11,325 units in February 2014.

"The trend of growth in passenger vehicles continued with the strong Zest sales and good response to the all-new Bolt," the company said.

In the commercial vehicles segment, domestic sales were at 26,547 units during the month, the company said. Exports during the month stood at 3,911 units, down 15.63 per cent as against 4,636 units in the year-ago month.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) also reported 2.4 per cent growth in total sales at 47,612 units in February.

The company had sold 46,505 units in the same month of last year, HMIL said in a statement.

In the domestic market, Hyundai sold 37,305 units last month as compared to 34,005 units in February 2014, up 9.7 per cent. During the month, the company's exports declined by 17.5 per cent to 10,307 units as against 12,500 units in the same period last year.

Commenting on the performance, HMIL Senior Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) Rakesh Srivastava said: "The growth in additional and repeat buyers is higher than that of first time buyers." "Reduction in interest rates could bring in the thrust to break the threshold of low growth and initiate double digit growth", he added.