Two-wheeler sales surge in June 2018

Initial sales reports revealed by the top six players in India’s two-wheeler segment suggest that the market – the world’s largest – has recorded more than 22 percent growth year on year in June 2018. The total dispatches made by the six companies – Hero MotoCorp (including export), Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, TVS Motor Company, Bajaj Auto, Royal Enfield and Suzuki Motorcycle India total up to 18,06,486 units for last month, up a substantial 22.69 percent YoY.

Hero MotoCorp

India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp, has reported a total dispatch of 7,04,562 units in June, up a good 12.88 percent YoY.

Notwithstanding the manufacturer's domestic sales, this is the fourth occasion when the company’s total sales (domestic and exports) have crossed the 7,00,000-unit milestone. Of these, the three top-performing months were recorded in 2018. Other than in June 2018, Hero achieved this feat in April 2018 (7,06,365 units), March 2018 (7,30,473 units) and September 2017 (7,20,739 units).

According to Hero MotoCorp, Q1 FY2018-19 now stands as the quarter recording the highest-ever sales for the company. It has reportedly sold more than 2.1 million units during the April-June 2018 period. While in Q1 FY2019, it sold 21,04,949 units, Hero MotoCorp’s previous highest quarterly performance was recorded in Q2 FY2018, when it had reported dispatches of 20,22,805 units.

“With the monsoon already hitting many parts of the country, the positive consumption pattern is expected to continue in the coming months. Hero MotoCorp is geared up with an array of products – including its premium motorcycle (Xtreme 200R/Xpulse) and the new scooter range (Maestro/Duet 125) – to add to the positive sentiment and further delight customers,” quotes the company release, suggesting its outlook on the domestic demand in the coming months.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India

Growing by a substantial 28.61 percent YoY in June 2018, HMSI has reportedly sold 5,35,494 units in the domestic market. It registered additional sales of 1,19,129 units over its June 2017 sales which stood at 4,16,365 units.

According to the company, its scooter sales grew by about 33 percent YoY last month. Its domestic scooter dispatches increased from 2,71,007 units in June 2017 to 3,61,236 units in June 2018. The motorcycle portfolio, on the other hand, has registered growth of about 20 percent YoY. Honda’s motorcycle dispatches went up from 1,45,358 units in June 2017 to 1,74,258 units in June 2018.

Honda’s Q1 FY2019 domestic sales stood at 16,90,405 units, up 14.33 percent YoY from 14,78,478 units sold in Q1 FY2018.

TVS Motor Company

India’s third-largest two-wheeler player has recorded domestic sales of 2,46,176 units in June 2018, up a conservative yet consistent 7.73 percent YoY. The company had sold 2,28,518 units in June last year.

The company has reported that its scooter portfolio has grown by about 13.6 percent YoY from 90,448 units in June 2017 to 1,02,763 units in June 2018. This is supported by the demand for its bestselling model, the 110cc Jupiter, and the new 125cc premium scooter, the NTorq, which has become one of the top 10 bestselling scooters in India within three months of its launch. TVS Motor’s consistent assault in the scooter segment has earned it the formidable number two position in India, with Honda ahead of it.

The company’s motorcycles sales also grew by about 14.9 percent YoY, going from 1,12,146 units in June 2017 to 1,28,825 units in June 2018. Its largest-selling motorcycle brand, Apache, continues to woo young buyers in the 160cc-310cc categories, with the new RTR 160 4V doing particularly well.

Bajaj Auto

India’s fourth-largest two-wheeler manufacturer reported a dramatic recovery in its domestic sales in June. The company has reported sales of 2,00,949 units last month, up by an unusual 86 percent YoY. It had sold 1,08,109 units in June last year.

The surging motorcycle sales at Bajaj can be attributed to its Pulsar, Discover, Platina and CT100 brands which have been able to maintain the momentum in the domestic market. It also appears that the Avenger and V line-up have contributed well to its June 2018 performance.

Royal Enfield

RE’s dream run continues in June too. The company reported sales of 72,588 units last month, up about 18 percent YoY. RE has registered a total domestic sales of 2,19,725 units, which marks an impressive 23 percent YoY growth in Q1 FY2019. Notably, the Classic 350 model contributes around 60-75 percent of RE’s overall sales every month. The company is now preparing for the launch of its 650cc, twin-cylinder motorcycles – the Continental GT 650 and the Interceptor 650 in the next three months.

On the export front, Royal Enfield has shipped out 5,636 units in Q1 FY2019 (averaging just 1,880 units per month), up 10 percent YoY. The incoming bigger-displacement motorcycles are aimed at consolidating Royal Enfield’s presence in developed markets including North America, Europe and Australia.

Suzuki Motorcycle India

Suzuki continues its fantastic growth streak and has reported sales of 46,717 units in June 2018, up a commendable 39.15 percent YoY. The Access 125 is one critical contributor to Suzuki's performance in India, along with the Gixxer series.

Suzuki is gearing up to launch its Burgman scooter in India on June 19. The incoming scooter, which will be powered by the same 125cc engine as the Access 125, is expected to further strengthen the company’s positioning in the premium scooter category. The incoming model is estimated to sit above the Access 125 in terms of market positioning and price points.

The industry expects that the demand momentum will continue in Q2 (July-September 2018) leveraging the good monsoon and the new model line-up planned by OEMs for the domestic market.