Sales Grow For Most Automakers In April

Most automakers registered a growth in retail sales in April as the auto industry resumed life after a frenzy to offload the inventory of vehicles complying with older emission norms in March after the Supreme Court refused to extend the deadline.

Here's how automobile manufacturers fared in April:

Compacts, Utility Vehicles Drive Maruti Suzuki's Growth

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. saw its sales from dealerships grow 19.5 percent to 1.51 lakh vehicles, compared to a year ago, led by its compact and utility vehicle segments.

The compact segment, which includes the Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno, DZIRE and Dzire Tour, saw 39.1 percent higher sales at 63,584 units, according to Maruti's release. Utility vehicles including the Vitara Brezza, Ertiga and S-Cross saw a 28.6 percent growth in sales to 20,638 units.

Exports took a hit, falling almost 30 percent to 6723 vehicles.

The Indian arm of Suzuki Motor Corporation had recorded its highest ever yearly sales in financial year 2017.

Tata Motors' Sales Fall Despite Tiago Push

Sales of Tata Motors Ltd. in April declined 19 percent to 35,604 units, as the company struggled to meet high demand for vehicles complying with Bharat Stage-IV emission norms.

Domestic commercial vehicle sales fell 36 percent to 16,017 units. Including exports, CV sales fell 21 percent. This was because the apex court's ban on sale of Bharat Stage-III compliant vehicles warranted a higher quantity of the updated BS-IV stock.

Passenger vehicle sales grew 23 percent over the previous year to 12,827 units, led by its its new releases like the Hexa SUV, compact sedan Tigor and hatchback Tiago. “Tata Tiago continues to maintain a good order pipeline,” Tata Motors said in a media statement.

The company expects production, wholesales and retail sales to rise in May and June, the statement added.

Royal Enfield's Premium Models Hit

Eicher Motors Ltd., the owner of the Royal Enfield brand, reported a 25 percent growth in motorcycle sales in April.

Royal Enfield's smaller motorcycles with engine capacity of 350cc grew 30 percent to 56,439 units, according to its statement. Premium models with higher engine capacities registered a 23 percent fall in sales to 3,793 units.

Royal Enfield sold 60,142 motorcycles, of which 1,578 were exported. Exports grew 36 percent over the same month last year.

Eicher Motors also sells commercial vehicles through VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., its unlisted joint venture with Volvo Group.

Hyundai's Sales Grow

Hyundai Motors India Ltd., the country's second largest car manufacturer, registered a 3.6 percent growth in total sales in April.

Hyundai sold 56,368 units in the month, according to its media statement. Domestically, it saw a 5.7 percent growth in sales to 44,758 units. Exports fell 3.8 percent to 11,610 units.

Toyota Rides On Updated Fortuner

Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported a 47.8 percent jump in total sales on the back of the updated model of its Fortuner SUV.

The company sold 14,057 units in April. Domestic sales went up 51.8 percent to 12,948 units, as compared to March last year, according to wire agency PTI. “This growth has been propelled by the overwhelming response the new Fortuner has received,” N Raja, director and senior vice president of sales and marketing at Toyota Kirloskar, said.

He added that the Fortuner has already sold over 12,200 units within six months of its launch.

New Offerings Boost Honda's Sales

Honda Cars India Ltd. registered a 38.1 percent growth in sales to 14,480 vehicles due to positive response for its new Honda WR-V and the 2017 edition of its popular sedan Honda City.

Honda has received over 25,000 bookings for Honda City since its launch in February, and over 12,000 bookings for WR-V since its launch in March, a media statement said.

The company exported 442 units in April.

Nissan's Wholesales Grow

Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. saw wholesale deliveries to dealerships grow 39 percent over the last year in April to 4,217 vehicles.

In a media statement, Nissan said that it will bring to India a hybrid variant of its SUV X-Trail in 2017. Nissan aims to capture 5 percent of the market share by 2020.

Bajaj Auto Ltd., Hero Motocorp Ltd., and TVS Motor Company Ltd. are yet to report their sales.