SIAM, the automobile industry’s apex body, has released domestic sales figures for the month of May. The automobile industry now has some reason to cheer after passenger car sales rose by 3.08 percent to 1,48,577 units against 1,44,132 units in the same month last year.
If we include utility vehicles and vans, then the passenger vehicle segment witnessed a rise of 2.76 percent to 2,07,953 units in May. It might be too soon to call this a recovery, but the buyer sentiment may be positive hereon.
In the two-wheelers segment, overall sales were up 16.30 percent to 14,02,830 units in May, on year. Scooter sales saw a rise of 35 percent to 3,57,564 units this year, compared to 2,65,892 units in May last year. Motorcycle sales were up 11.71 percent to 9,84,469 units compared to 8,81,288 units sold in May last year. The two-wheeler segment was buoyed by a series of new launches from Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki.
Commercial vehicles, however, are still lurking in the red. Sales were down by 15.28 percent in May 2014, with M&HCV numbers declining by 10.51 percent to 16,572 units.
The automobile segment, in the two-month, April-May 2014, period saw a 10.13 percent rise in sales. However, passenger vehicle sales in this two-month period are down 3.46 percent. Utility vehicle sales are up 2.46 percent. Two-wheelers also led the way in the two-month period. Scooters saw a handsome 30 percent increase in sales, followed by motorcycle sales that were up nearly by 10 percent.
BRIAN D'SOUZA