February Auto Sales Live: Hero MotoCorp Falls 19%; Eicher Motors Up 1%

Sales of India’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp Ltd. fell 19 percent year-on-year to To 4,98,242 units. The maker of Splendor motorcycles had sold 6,17,215 units in February 2019.

During the month, Hero MotoCorp sold 4,79,310 motorcycles while the rest were scooters. Exports for the month stood at 18,046 units.

Ashok Leyland Ltd. on Monday said its sales fell 37 percent year-on-year to 11,475 units in February. Total domestic, too, fell 39 percent to 10,612 units.

The commercial-vehicles maker sold 7,368 heavy-duty trucks and buses in the domestic market during the month, a 45 percent decline from the year-ago period. Sales of light commercial vehicles declined 17 percent year-on-year to 4,107 units in the month.

The sales of Royal-Enfield parent grew 1 percent year-on-year to 63,536 units.

Models with engine capacity up to 350 cc remained flat at 57,292 while those exceeding 350 cc rose 11 percent to 6,244 vehicles. Exports fell 8 percent to 2,348 units compared to the same period last year.

Shares rose close to 5 percent, the most since October last year, to Rs 17,422.95 each.

TVS Motor Company Ltd.'s sales fell 17 percent to 2,53,261 units in November as against sales of 2,99,353 units in the month year ago.

Key Sales Highlights (YoY)

• Total two-wheeler registered sales dropped 18 percent to 2,35,891 units in February as against sales of 2,85,611 units in the same period last year.
• Three-wheeler sales of the company grew by 26 percent to 17,370 units registered in the period.
• Total exports grew 25 percent to 82,877 units in February.
• Two-wheeler exports rose 23 percent to 66,207 units.

Shares of the Chennai-based firm declined 1.5 percent intraday to Rs 429.15 each.

Bajaj Auto Ltd.’s shares rose 1.9 percent after it reported a 10 percent slump in its wholesale numbers for February at 3,54,913 units.

• Domestic motorcycle sales fell 21 percent to 1,46,876 units.
• Motorcycle exports rose 15 percent to 1,63,346 units.
• Total motorcycle sales fell 5 percent 3,10,222 lakh units.
• Domestic commercial vehicles sales declined 38 percent to 21,871 units.
• Commercial vehicles’ exports fell 24 percent to 22,820 units.
• Total commercial vehicle sales fell 31 percent to 44,691 units.
• Total domestic sales fell 24 percent to 1,68,747 units.
• Total exports rose 9 percent to 1,86,166 units.

Escorts Ltd. sold 8,601 units in February, a gain of 18.8 percent from the year-ago month, according to its stock exchange filing.

Key Highlights (YoY)

• Domestic sales up 16.3 percent to 8,049 units.
• Exports rose 71.4 percent to 552 units.

Maruti Suzuki India

• Total sales down 1.1 percent year-on-year at 147,110 units compared to estimated 146,045 units.
• Total domestic vehicle sales down 3.6 percent at 136,849 units.
• Exports up 7 percent at 10,261 units.

Mahindra & Mahindra

• Total sales down 42 percent at 32,476 units compared to estimated 47,050 units.
• Total domestic sales down 42 percent at 30,637 units.
• Exports down 40 percent at 1839 units.

Tata Motors

• Total sales down 32 percent at 40,634 units compared to the estimated 44,772 units.
• Total domestic sales down 34 percent at 38,002 units.
• Total commercial vehicle sales down 33 percent at 28,086.
• Total passenger vehicle sales 31 percent at 12,430 units.

Eicher VECV

• Total sales down 29 percent at 4586 units.

Escorts

• Total Sales Up 19 percent at 8,601 units compared to the estimated 7,425 units.
• Domestic sales up 16 percent at 8,049 units.
• Exports up 71 percent at 552 units.

Mahindra Tractor

• Total sales up 19 percent to 22,561 units.
• Domestic sales up 21 percent to 21,877 units.
• Exports down 22 percent to 684 units.

Bajaj Auto

• Total sales down 10 percent to 3,54,913 units.
• Domestic motorcycle sales fell 21 percent to 1,46,876 units.
• Motorcycle exports rose 15 percent to 1,63,346 units.

TVS Motor

• Total sales down 17 percent to 2,53,261 units.
• Exports rose 25 percent to 82,877 units.

Eicher Motors

• Total sales rose 1 percent to 63,536 units.
• Exports declined 8 percent to 2,348 units.

Ashok Leyland

• Total sales declined 37 percent to 11,475 units.
• Domestic sales fell 39 percent to 10,612 units.

Hero MotoCorp

• Total sales down 19 percent to 4,98,242 units.
• Domestic motorcycle sales fell 20 percent to 4,80,196 units.
• Exports rose 8 percent to 18,046 units.

Eicher Motors' total commercial vehicle sales fell 28.7 percent in February compared to that a year ago with exports falling nearly 40 percent.

• Total sale of trucks and buses fell 29.2 percent to 4,439 units.
• Total domestic sales fell 27.4 percent to 3,875 units.
• Total exports fell 39.4 percent to 564 units.
• sale of Volvo trucks fell 8.1 percent to 147 units.

Tata Motors' sales declined 32 percent to 40,634 units in February, compared to the same time last year, also hit by the coronavirus disruption like many of its peers.

"We are on track for the BSVI migration, with BSIV stocks being consumed as per plan and BSVI production initiated. The supply disruptions from the COVID-19 outbreak in China could have some impact on the BSVI transition and all efforts are underway to mitigate it," said Girish Wagh, President, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors

• Total domestic sales down 34 percent at 38,002 units.
• Total commercial vehicle sales down 33 percent at 28,086 units.
• Total passenger vehicle sales 31 percent at 12,430 units.

Production pf passenger vehicles was also impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and a fire in the one of the “strategic vendors”, according to Mayank Pareek, president of the passenger vehicles business unit. “Multiple actions are being taken to reduce the impact, staying close to our customers by providing transparency of the delivery situation.”

On a positive note, the company’s BS-IV vehicle stock is well below the targeted level, making it well placed for the BSIV-BSVI transition, he added.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd. on Sunday reported a 10.3 percent decline in total sales at 48,910 units in February.

The company had sold 54,518 units in the same month last year, HMIL said in a statement.

Domestic sales were down 7.2 percent to 40,010 units as against 43,110 units in February 2019, it added.

The company's exports declined 22 percent to 8,900 units as compared with 11,408 units a year ago.

Source: PTI

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.'s sales nearly halved in February 2020 compared to a year ago as challenges on the parts-supply from China hits production.

• Total sales fell 42 percent to 32,476 units, year-on-year.
• Total exports fell 40 percent to 1,839 units.
• Total domestic sales fell 42 percent to 30,637 units.
• Total passenger vehicle sales fell 58 percent to 10,938 units.
• Sale of utility vehicles fell 56 percent to 10,675 units.
• Sale of commercial vehicles fell 25 percent to 15,856 units.

“The ramp-down of BS IV vehicle production has been in line with our plan for February. However, because of the unforeseeable challenges on the parts-supply from China, our BS VI ramp-up has been affected," Veejay Ram nakra, chief of sales and marketing at the automotive division, said in a statement. This has resulted in a high de-growth in billings for the month and the dealer inventory - which is now under 10 days.

"Going into March, we anticipate the challenge on parts-supply to continue for another few weeks, before we get back to normalcy," he said.

Tractor Sales Highlights (YoY)

• Total sales up 19 percent to 22,561 units.
• Domestic sales up 21 percent to 21,877 units.
• Exports down 22 percent to 684 units.

MG Motor India sold 1,376 units in February, compared to 3,130 units in January 2020, affected by the coronavirus outbreak across the world.

"The unforeseen coronavirus outbreak has severely affected our European and Chinese supply chains, disrupting our production and impacting our sales in February and will continue through March," Rakesh Sidana, director of sales at the carmaker said in a statement.

"We are working towards stabilising the situation and are hopeful that reasonable normalcy will be restored by the end of March."

MG Motor India product portfolio comprises two models -- SUV Hector and ZS EV.

The units sold in February include 158 units of ZS EV, the carmaker’s latest India product and the country’s first pure electric internet SUV, according to the company. "Our customers are delighted with our holistic EV approach, which includes the installation of a home or office charger even before they receive their vehicle," Sidana said.

MG Motor India currently has 206 centers across India and aims to further strengthen its Network to 250 centers by the end of March 2020.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. sold 1.1 percent less cars this February compared to that last year as domestic sales fell amid subdued consumption in the country.

This is a change from the data seen in January 2020 when India’s largest carmaker saw a rose in domestic sales but a fall in exports.

• Total sales fell 1.1 percent to 147,110 units.
• Total export sales rose 7.1 percent to 10,261 units.
• Total domestic sales fell 3.6 percent to 134,150 units.
• Total domestic passenger vehicle sales fell 2.3 percent to 133,702 units.
• Sale of mid-sized car Ciaz fell 17.5 percent to 2,544 units.
• Sale of mini passenger vehicles such as Alto and S-Presso rose 11.1 percent to 27,499 units.
• Sale of compact vehicles including WagonR, Swift, Celerio and more, fell 3.9 percent to 69,828 units.

India’s auto manufacturers are set to report their sales for the month of February amid a continued consumption slowdown and other headwinds facing the global and local automobile industry.

Retail sales of cars and two-wheelers were flat or contracted in February for most automakers as demand didn’t pick up and dealers waited to exhaust existing inventory ahead of the transition to stricter emission standards, according to a BloombergQuint’s survey of eight large dealerships.

“February is usually not a volume-heavy month and across our dealerships, we are expecting a double-digit drop in sales on a year-on-year basis,” said Kunal Vikram Singh, owner of multiple cars and two-wheeler dealerships of companies, including MG Motor and Royal Enfield, in Mumbai. Even as enquiries and footfall have been more or less the same, consumers have not been concluding the purchase, he said.

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