Car sales up 16.34% in Oct

Passenger cars and motorcycles sales continued to draw double-digit growth during October this year at 16.34 per cent and 13.16 per cent respectively.

According to figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, total passenger car sales increased by 16.34 per cent at 92,383 units in October this year as compared to 79,407 units in same month last year.

Motorcycles sales during the month stood at 7,05,467 units as against 6,23,432 units, in the corresponding month last year, up by 13.16 per cent.

The country's largest car manufacturer Maruti Udyog Ltd clocked 9.88 per cent growth in sales during the month at 47,994 units as against 43,676 units in the same month last year. Rivals Hyundai Motor India Ltd had a sales growth of 18.28 per cent at 18,563 units in October as compared to 15,693 units.

However, home grown major Tata Motors witnessed a decline in sales during the month at 12,720 units as against 13,616 units last year, down by 6.5 per cent.

According to SIAM, the growth in motorcycle sales was led by Bajaj Auto Ltd, which managed to sell 2,23,642 units during the month as against 1,89,169 units last year, up 18.22 per cent.

Market leader Hero Honda Motors Ltd also posted an impressive 16.79 per cent growth at 3,45,319 units, against 2,95,654 units in the same month last year. Chennai-based TVS Motors Co Ltd, however, had a modest growth of 4.89 per cent at 86,990 units, compared to 82,933 units in the same month last year.

Scooter sales continued to be on the decline at 9.75 per cent. Total scooter sales during October stood at 84,680 units as against 93,830 units in the corresponding month last year, SIAM said.

Scooter market leader Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India had a drop in sales by 9.14 per cent in October this year at 43,957 units as against 48,382 units in the same month last year.

Bajaj Auto Ltd managed to sell just 49 units of scooters compared to 13,850 units in the same month last year, while Hero Honda Motors sold 11,088 units in October this year.

Pune-based Kinetic Motor Co managed 36.67 per cent growth in scooter sales during the month at 7,509 units, against 5,494 units in the same month last year.

SIAM said commercial vehicle sales during October was at 38,554 units as compared to 31,663 in the same month last year, up by 21.76 per cent.

The growth in the commercial vehicle sales was driven by the medium and heavy commercial vehicles, which clocked a healthy 27.68 per cent growth at 22,183 units as against 17,373 units in the same month last year.

Total light commercial vehicle sales during the month also increased by 14.56 per cent at 16,371 units as compared to 14,290 units last year, SIAM said.