Car maker Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday reported a 41.56 per cent jump in sales for August at 84,808 units.
In the domestic market, Maruti sold 69,961 units from 54,113 units in August last year, an increase of 29.29 per cent, while exports more than doubled at 14,847 units from 5,795 units in the year-ago period, Maruti Suzuki India said in a statement.
During the month, the company crossed the 50,000-units mark in cumulative exports this fiscal, with A-Star, which was launched in January this year, being the main export driver, including countries like Germany, UK and France.
Sales of the company's once bread-and-butter model M800 declined by 26.45 per cent at 2,734 units compared to 3,717 units in August last year, while A2 segment (comprising Alto, Wagon R, Estilo, Swift, A-Star and Ritz) witnessed a growth of 39.31 per cent at 52,473 units compared to 37,667 units in the same month of 2008.
A3 segment sales (consisting of SX4 and DZiRE) increased 44.11 per cent to 7,821 units compared to 5,427 units in the corresponding period last year, the company said.
MSI's passenger car sales rose by 30.51 per cent at 69,629 units against 53,351 units in the same month in 2008, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the country's second-largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor India, reported a 12.92 per cent jump in domestic car sales in August at 24,401 units. The company's cumulative sales (including exports) during August were up 10.76 per cent at 49,521 units compared with 44,710 units in the same month a year ago, Hyundai Motor India said in a statement. Exports for the month accounted for 25,120 units against 23,100 units during the same month in the previous year, a rise of 8.74 per cent.
The company sold 45,495 units of hatchbacks -- Santro, Getz Prime, i10 and i20, 3,979 units of Accent and Verna and 47 units of Sonata Transform during August. "Over the last two months, we have registered steady growth figures and in August the domestic sales have been strong. We are now entering the festival season phase and strong sales would help the Indian automotive industry to return to healthy growth," HMIL senior vice-president (marketing and sales) Arvind Saxena said.
He said the company has big expectations from the coming festival season and hopes to do better than its last year's performance.
