MUL sales up 5.5 p.c. in April-Sept.

NEW DELHI, OCT. 3. Maruti Udyog (MUL) today reported a 20 per cent drop in car sales at 28,745 units during September as against 35,959 cars sold in the same month last year.

But, sales in the first half (April-September) of the current fiscal increased by 5.5 per cent to 1.70 lakh units from 1.61 lakh cars in the year-ago period, a company statement said.

Maruti, India's largest car maker, sold 14,686 units of the entry model Maruti 800 and 5,332 Omni vans.

Sales of premium small cars Zen, Alto and Wagon-R stood at 4,008 units, 1,662 units and 1,947 units respectively during the month. The company also sold 979 units and 131 units of the mid-size Esteem and premium mid-size Baleno respectively.

The company said it had improved its market share to 62 per cent from 58 per cent in the same month last year. It said overall car industry sales had dropped by about 22 per cent in September this year.

``The depressed sentiment in the economy continued to have an adverse impact on car sales," Maruti said, adding deferment of purchases due to extended inauspicious period have hit car sales, mainly in North India.

Hyundai Motor

Hyundai Motor India sold 6,781 cars in September this year representing a fall of 18.2 per cent over the corresponding month in the previous year. However, in the first six months of the current financial year, April-September, HMIL sold 45,834 units, a growth of 4.5 per cent over the same period last year when sales stood at 43,847 units.

Hyundai's latest car - the new luxury Sedan Sonata - improved its sales to 301 units in September. Last month 150 units of Sonata were sold, according to a company release.

Hindustan Motors

Sales of Hindustan Motors have dropped by 40.6 per cent to 1,653 cars during September from 2,786 cars sold in the same month last year. Compared to 1,803 cars sold in August this year, September sales were lower by 8.3 per cent, according to a company release.

The company sold 650 premium mid-size Lancer cars and 1,003 Ambassador cars during September this year. Sales of the utility vehicle Trekker and RTV (rural transport vehicles) stood at 127 units and 175 units respectively.

The company's first half (April-September) sales slipped 17.4 per cent to 9,189 cars from 11,131 units sold in the year-ago period.

Sales of Lancer fell by 23.7 per cent from 852 units sold in September 2000 but was nine units more as compared to 641 units sold in August this year.

Sales of Ambassadors in September dipped 48.1 per cent when compared with the same month last year and were down 13.6 per cent as compared to sales in August this year. Trekker sales in September were also down 30.1 per cent as compared to the same month last year.

- PTI

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