Slowdown hits car sales in April

NEW DELHI, MAY 2. There was a general slowdown in the domestic car market and all the major players reported a dip in their sales in April. In the U.S. also General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler reported hefty declines in vehicle sales following a healthy, incentive-driven first quarter, and as Japanese manufacturers began offering price cuts spurred by a weaker yen.

In India, the largest car maker, Maruti Udyog, has recorded a 12.1 per cent fall in domestic sales at 26,264 units during April over 29,911 cars sold in the same month last year.

Reflecting the general slowdown in the car market, Maruti's sales during April were down by 30.7 per cent as against 37,900 units sold in the earlier month, according to a company statement. It sold 11,687 units of the entry level car Maruti 800 and 4,921 Omni vans.

Sales of premium small cars Zen, Alto and Wagon-R stood at 4,372 units, 1,453 units and 2,779 units respectively during April this year. The company also sold 953 units of the mid-size car Esteem and 99 premium mid-size Baleno cars.

The company said it had improved its market share to 62 per cent from 56 per cent from April 2000 thereby consolidating its leadership position in the domestic car market. The company has also achieved 42 per cent market share in the B segment which comprises cars such as Zen, Daewoo's Matiz and Hyundai Santro in April 2001.

Hyundai Motor

Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) has reported a marginal 1.4 per cent fall in its car sales at 7,203 units during April against 7,305 units sold in the same month last year. The April sales were also down by 28 per cent as against 10,008 cars sold in March this year. HMIL has sold 33,107 cars in 2001 till April-end, according to a company release.

Cumulative sales of Hyundai Motor cars since the launch of Santro in September 1998 have touched 1.88 lakh units. The company has also shipped 5,932 cars to the overseas markets since it commenced exports in 1999, the release said. ``We are now close to rolling out the fastest 200,000th car," HMIL managing director, Mr. Y. S. Kim, said.

Daewoo Motors

Daewoo Motors India (DMIL) has reported a 59.3 per cent drop in car sales at 2,063 units during April this year against 5,069 units sold in the year-ago month. The April sales were also down by 9.7 per cent as compared to 2,287 cars sold in March this year, a company statement said.

The premium small car Matiz has recorded a dip in sales during April due to sluggish market conditions but did not give figures.

``After March, April is usually a dull month but we are hopeful of a smart recovery in the coming months. We are embarking on an ambitious market initiatives for the fiscal and are confident of a good year ahead," DMIL managing director and chief executive officer, Mr. Y. C. Kim, said.

Hindustan Motors

Hindustan Motors (HM) has posted a 18.2 per cent drop in car sales at 1,270 units during April over 1,553 cars sold in the same month last year. The April sales were also down by 55.8 per cent as compared to 2,877 cars sold in the earlier month.

Sales of the premium mid-size car Lancer fell by 36.3 per cent to 350 units from 550 units sold in April 2000, an HM spokesperson told PTI.

The company sold 920 Ambassador cars in April this year, down 8.2 per cent over 1,003 cars sold in the year-ago month. The company also sold 104 units of the utility vehicle Trekker as against 100 units sold in April last year.

Sales of the Lancer car in April, made in technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan, dipped by a whopping 55.8 per cent as against 1,977 units sold in March 2001. However, sales of the Ambassador car was up 22.2 per cent as compared to 900 units sold in March this year.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Business
Previous : Early gains not fully held on BSE
Next     : Six sectors account for 30 p.c. of FDI