Car Sales Report February 2019 — Automotive Brands Continue To Face Declining Sales Figures

Car Sales Report February 2019: The car sales report for the month of February 2019 has been released by various carmakers in the country. The sales report from different car manufacturers showcases a mixed bag of growth and declines in the market.
Most carmakers such as Honda, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota has continued to show either a decline in sales or a marginal growth rate. This has been continued from January 2019, which also saw most automotive brands record a decline in sales.

Maruti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki has recorded a sales figure of 148,682 units in February 2019. Out of this, 139,100 units is from the domestic markets while the remaining 9,582 units are from the export market.

Comparing this to the same month last years translates to a marginal sales decline by 0.8 per cent. Maruti Suzuki recorded 149,824 units of sales in February 2018. However, if only the passenger vehicles are taken into accounts, Maruti recorded a growth of 0.2 per cent from 136,648 units in February 2018 to 136,912 units in the previous month.

Mahindra

The passenger vehicle segment of Mahindra & Mahindra recorded a growth of 17 per cent in the Indian market. The passenger vehicle segment recorded sales of 26,169 units last month compared to 22,382 units in February 2018.

Combining passenger and commercial vehicles in India, Mahindra still managed to record an overall growth of 10 per cent, selling 56,005 units last month.

Rajan Wadhera, President, Automotive Sector, M&M Ltd. said, "The month of February has augured well for Mahindra. We have witnessed a strong double-digit growth of 16% in our UV portfolio, on the back of our newly launched XUV300 model. Further, the overall growth for the month has been around 10%. On a YTD basis too, we have shown strong growth of 12% at an overall level."

Tata Motors

Tata Motors recorded an overall decline of 3 per cent to 57,221 units last month from 58,991 units in February 2018. However, in terms of just passenger vehicles, Tata Motors recorded 18,110 units sold last month compared to 17,771 unit during the same month last year; this is a growth of 2 per cent in the PV segment.

Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors Ltd. said, "In February 2019, we have strived to maintain our growth trajectory at a time when the market is under stress. Despite the challenging environment last month, we witnessed a growth of 2%, fueled by the good performance of our new generation products. The Harrier has been very well accepted by our consumers and we are expecting higher volumes in the coming months as the production ramps up. Our UV portfolio has grown from strength to strength, with a growth of 26%. We will continue to deliver the best of products and services to our customers and work towards driving volumes in the months to come."

Hyundai Motors India

Hyundai Motors is the country's second-largest carmaker after Maruti Suzuki. The Korean car manufacturer is also the number one exporter in the Indian market. Hyundai has, however, registered a decline in sales in February 2019 compared to the same month last year.

Hyundai Motors recorded a sales of 54,518 units last month compared to 55,422 units last year; translating to a decline of 1.6 per cent. Out of this domestic sales included 43,110 units and 11,408 units of exports.

Toyota Kirloskar Motors

Toyota also registered a slump in sales in the month of February 2019. The company sold 12,497 units last month compared to 12,705 units in February 2018.

N. Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, "We have seen improvement in consumer sentiments as compared to last month leading to a growth in demand. However, the auto sales are witnessing a temporary slowdown in the pre-election phase in addition to factors like tight liquidity condition impacting the buying behaviour.

However, we are happy that the Innova Crysta continues to maintain the positive growth momentum in sales as compared to the same period last year. We are delighted with the overwhelming response that the All New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle or self-charging electric vehicle has received from customers across India. It is encouraging for us to see that the customers have recognized the enhanced product with advanced Hybrid technology with smart intuitive features unparalleled drive experience, luxury, quality, reliability and safety.

Verdict

The second month of 2019 has continued with the unexpected sales slump in the Indian car market. The year has already seen a number of new launches, facelifts and updates. However, the sales figures, still remain on the low. With the upcoming Safety and Crash Test norms coming up in April, it will be interesting to see the reaction, once the norms come into effect.