Auto majors post mixed results in December

The month of December was a year of joy and celebrations for some auto companies, while for others it was a period of mixed reactions. This is because, even though the overall result wasn't so positive, some of its brands registered good sales.

For instance, Maruti Suzuki reported a decline in figures, but its models like DZiRE and SX4 fared well in the market.

Here, we present a brief account of the sales of the auto companies.

...

Bajaj Motorcycle sales rise by 8 per cent

The country's second largest two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto has reported 8.22 per cent increase in motorcycle sales in December 2011 at 2,63,699 units -- the highest monthly sales of the company.

The company had sold 2,43,675 units of motorcycles in the corresponding month previous year, Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) said in a statement.

Total vehicle sales during last month stood at 3,05,690 units compared to 2,76,803 units in the same period a year ago, a growth of 10.44 per cent.

Exports stood at 1,19,708 units in December 2011 as against 95,388 units in December 2010, a jump of 25.50 per cent, BAL said.

Commercial vehicle sales witnessed growth of 26.75 per cent at 41,991 during the month against 33,128 in the year-ago period, the statement said.

...

Ford sales up 39 per cent in December

Ford India reported 39 per cent jump in sales for December, 2011, to 5,979 units. The company sold 4,301 units in the corresponding month of the 2010, Ford India said in a statement.

In the whole of 2011, the company sold 96,270 units in the domestic market, up 15 per cent compared to the previous year, it said without disclosing its 2010 sales.

"It's incredibly gratifying to see that our domestic sales have grown at such a steady pace, particularly given the challenging market environment. Overall, 2011 was a strong and positive year where we crossed many milestones," Ford India President and Managing Director Michael Boneham said.

He said India also became an increasingly important exporter of Ford vehicles last year, with shipments reaching 22,521 vehicles, almost three times the number exported in 2010.

...

During 2011, Ford India expanded its export footprint for the popular Figo to 32 countries, with Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast added in December, it added.

"With work commencing on our second plant in Sanand, expansion of the powertrain facility in Chennai, the launch of the All-New global Fiesta, and Figo's growing popularity in 2011 gave us many proud moments to cherish," Boneham added.

Ford India will use the upcoming Auto Expo to preview the second of eight new vehicles that Ford plans to bring to India by mid-decade.

"In 2012, starting with a global vehicle debut at the Delhi Auto Show, we will continue working hard to offer our customers exceptional service, and more fuel-efficient, stylish, affordable vehicles with advanced technologies that they expect from Ford. We look forward to another banner year," he said.

...

Maruti Suzuki sales decline by 7.1 per cent

Maruti Suzuki India's sales declined for the seventh consecutive month with the firm on Monday reporting 7.1 per cent fall in December last year to 92,161 units.

The company had sold 99,225 units in the same month in the previous year, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

The national capital-based company recorded sales of 77,475 units in the domestic market last month, down 13.4 per cent from 89,469 units in December, 2010.

MSI's exports, however, jumped by 50.5 per cent in December, 2011, to 14,686 units from 9,756 units in the year-ago period, the company added.

...

Total passenger vehicles car sales declined by 8.4 per cent to 69,329 units last month from 75,652 units in the same month of 2010, it added.

Sales of the company's mini-segment cars, including the M800, A-Star, Alto and WagonR, declined by 15.6 per cent to 38,593 units from 45,733 units in December, 2010.

In the compact segment (comprising the Estilo, Swift and Ritz models), MSI witnessed a marginal increase in sales to 20,653 units from 20,557 units in the same month a year ago.

Sales of MSI's DZiRE model, grew by 6.8 per cent to 9,189 units from 8,601 units in the corresponding period a year ago.

In addition, MSI's mid-sized sedan SX4's sales increased by 10.8 per cent to 843 units from 761 units in the year-ago month. Luxury sedan Kizashi witnessed sales of 51 units.

...

M&M tractor sales rise marginally

Mahindra & Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector (FES) division today reported a marginal increase in tractor sales in December 2011, at 16,389 units.

The company had sold 16,334 units during the same month previous year, the company said in a statement.

Domestic sales were up by 1.19 per cent to 15,315 units against 15,135 units in the year-ago period, it added.

Exports during the month dipped by 10.43 per cent to 1,074 units compared to 1,199 units in the year-ago month.

...

TVS Motor sales slip marginally

Chennai-based two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company today reported a marginal fall in total vehicle sales for December 2011 at 1,70,428 units.

Two-wheeler sales of the company fell marginally last month to 1,67,905 units from 1,68,359 units in the year-ago period, it added.

Scooter sales, however, increased by 7.18 per cent to 44,804 units in December 2011 from 41,804 units in the same month of 2010. Motorcycle sales declined by 7.74 per cent to 56,662 units from 61,414 units in the year-ago period.

The company's domestic two-wheeler sales registered a decline of 1.75 per cent to 1,46,747 units against 1,49,357 units in December 2010. Three-wheeler sales of the company went down by 26.46 per cent to 2,523 units from 3,431 units in the same month of 2010, the statement said.

Company's exports increased 6.44 per cent to 22,481 units from 21,121 units in the same month previous year, it added.

...

HMSI sales up by 36 per cent

Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) on Monday reported a 36.15 per cent growth in sales in December 2011 at 1,91,584 units over the year-ago period.

The company had sold 1,40,719 units in the corresponding month in the previous year, HMSI said in a statement.

Motorcycle sales jumped 24.97 per cent to 78,721 units in December, last year, against 62,991 units in December 2010, it added.

The company reported an increase of 45.20 per cent in scooter sales to 1,12,863 units compared to 77,728 units in December 2010.

...

GM India sales up 7 per cent

General Motors India on Monday reported an increase of 6.74 per cent in sales for December 2011 at 9,039 units. The company had sold 8,468 units in the same month of the previous year, General Motors India said in a statement.

In December, last year, the company had sold 1,365 Spark hatchbacks, 486 Cruze sedans and 4,796 units of its latest compact car offering Beat, it added. It also sold 191 units of entry-level sedan Aveo, 227 units of mid-sized sedan Optra, 1,927 units of multi-utility vehicle Tavera and 47 units of its Captiva SUV.

"We have been able to sustain the growth primarily due to the encouraging response to Chevrolet Beat. Other carlines like Spark, Cruze and Tavera have also generated substantial volumes for the company," GM India Vice President P Balendran said.

In the 2011 calendar year, GM India sold a total of 1,11,510 units compared to 1,10,804 units a year ago. However, unprecedented hikes in interest rates, fuel prices, commodity prices, growing inflation and policy paralysis at the centre have led to negative sentiments in the automobile market, he added.

"We expect the market to remain tight for at least a couple of months to come," Balendran said.

Mercedes-Benz Dec sales up by 3 per cent

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz India has reported 2.82 per cent rise in its sales for December 2011 at 730 units. The company had sold 710 units during the corresponding month previous year, Mercedes-Benz India Director (Marketing
and Sales) Debashis Mitra said.

For the entire 2011, the company's sales increased by 27.69 per cent to 7,430 units from 5,819 units in 2010. "This is a very good number and we are very happy with it. All the segments contributed almost equally in achieving this robust growth," Mitra said.

The C-Class and E-Class sedans, and some of the premium sports utility vehicle models contributed significantly in
this performance, he added.

When asked about the company's target in 2012, Mitra said: "We are looking for a strong double-digit growth during
this year. The overall performance will depend on market situation, and the growth may come during later part of the
year." 

Commenting on the company's plans for the Auto Expo beginning this week here, he said Mercedes-Benz India will
showcase a concept car, besides launching two new models for the Indian market.

Nissan sales jump by 45 per cent

Nissan Motor India reported a jump of 44.57 per cent in its total sales for December, 2011 at 1,596 units. In the same month previous year, the company had sold a total of 1,104 units, the company said in a statement.

The company's compact car Micra recorded sales of 1,036 units, while premium sedan Sunny contributed with 533 units.

"With the launch of the Sunny diesel variant, we are on track to achieve the targeted sales performance despite the
difficult market conditions in India," Nissan Motor India Managing Director Kiminobu Tokuyama said.