In terms of sales, Februray 2014 was a mixed fortune for the auto majors in the country. While Ford India reported an increase of 68.93 per cent in sales during February 2014, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) reported a decline of 12 per cent and Tata Motors reported a decline of 35.56 per cent in the same period.
Ford India on Saturday reported 68.93 per cent increase in total sales at 12,253 units in February 2014.
The company had sold a total of 7,253 units in the same month previous year, Ford India said in a statement.
Domestic sales were up 51.42 per cent to 6,799 units in February as against 4,490 units in the same month previous year, it added.
The company exported 5,454 units last month as against 2,763 units in the year-ago period.
Ford India Executive Director (Marketing, Sales and Service) Vinay Piparsania said: '...The recent reductions in excise duty should provide a positive message to customers and encourage them to make the most of the outstanding value being offered on our smart, safe and fuel efficient products'.
Auto-maker Mahindra & Mahindra on Saturday reported 12 per cent decline in its total sales at 42,166 units in February.
The company had sold 47,824 units in the same month previous year, the company said in a statement.
In February, M&M’s domestic sales stood at 39,338 units as against 44399 in the same month previous year, down 11 per cent.
Total sales of passenger vehicles, including Scorpio, XUV500, Xylo, Bolero and Verito, stood at 19308 units during the month as against 23421 in February 2013, down 18 per cent.
Sales of the company’s four-wheel commercial vehicles were down 3 per cent at 14,701 units as against 15,167 units in February 2013, it said.
M&M’s exports were down by 17 per cent to 2828 units during the month from 3425 units in February 2013.
Commenting on the sales performance, M&M Chief Executive (Automotive Division) Pravin Shah said: 'The Auto Industry has received the much needed boost in terms of an excise duty reduction and this has resulted in higher inquiries over the last one week'.
The recently concluded Auto Expo has also been a success which will only help in generating demand, he added.
'At Mahindra we are hopeful that these positive initiatives would be the beginning of a gradual upswing for the auto industry, as we move into the next financial year,' Mr. Shah said.
Tata Motors on Saturday reported a 35.56 per cent decline in total vehicle sales to 39,951 units in February.
The company had sold 61,998 vehicles in the same month last year.
Domestic passenger vehicle sales rose to 11,325 units in February, up from 10,613 units a year earlier.
Tata Motors sold 9,026 units of Nano, Indica and Indigo cars and 2,299 units of Sumo, Safari, Aria and Venture vehicles, the company said in a statement.
In the commercial vehicles segment, domestic sales declined 49.37 per cent to 23,990 units from 47,389 units in the corresponding month of the previous year.
Two wheeler market
In the two wheeler sector, while Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) reported 44 per cent growth in sales during February 2014, TVS Motor Company reported 7 percent growth in the same period.
Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) on Saturday reported a 44 per cent growth in sales at 3,28,521 units for February, 2014.
The company’s total sales stood at 2,28,444 units in the corresponding month of previous year.
Motorcycle sales registered a rise of 40 per cent to 1,52,487 units in February, 2014 from 1,08,533 units in the same month of previous year, HMSI said in a statement.
The company also reported an increase of 47 per cent in scooter sales at 1,76,034 units from 1,19,911 units in February, 2013, it added.
Two-and-three-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company has registered a 7 per cent increase in total sales to 1,77,662 units in February 2014.
The company had sold 1,65,696 units in the same month of the previous year, TVS Motor Company said in a statement.
Sales of scooters grew by 37 per cent to 41,990 units in February 2014 from 30,611 units sold during the same month of the previous year.
Sales of motorcycles grew by 3 per cent to 62,762 units in February 2014 from 60,985 units sold during the same month of the previous year.