Top 5: Car sales in July 2014

Three successive months in the green for the auto industry is a good sign. A better sign is what’s in store for the next quarter – new launches and the festive season, both a reason for an upswing in sales. A half year of strong sales is bound to boost spirits, and we may just be seeing signs of a proper revival right now. Maruti Suzuki is posting strong numbers, Hyundai is doing well too and there is no stopping Honda, the company this month snatching the third largest carmaker’s position in India from Mahindra. Here are the top five car makers in India in July and how they fared – 

1. Maruti Suzuki

There are no surprises here and there will not be any time soon. Maruti Suzuki is the largest car manufacturer in India, we know, but it had been facing stiff competition and growth was minimal till the past few months. But this year is different. Sales are up as the Celerio is doing well and underperforming cars like the A-Star and Estilo have been discontinued. There’s a rise in sales of 19.9 percent this month compared to the corresponding period last annum. Domestic sales stood at 90,093 units, thrice as much as second placed Hyundai. Maruti’s exports were up 38.4 percent in July as well, shipping out 11,287 units.

2. Hyundai

Hyundai India is in a great spot right now. The next generation i20 will replace the current one and the car looks fantastic. Indians have liked the premium hatchback from Hyundai in the past so there shouldn’t be much of a surprise if the new one does well. Sales in July went up 12.7 percent to 29,260 units from 25,965 units in July 2013. The Xcent is doing well as is the Grand i10. The Verna too is holding its own despite tough competition in the Honda City. Hyundai’s exports fell 17.5 percent in July to 18,750 units from 22,739 units.

3. Honda 

The big mover this month is Honda. The Mobilio was launched in July and just as we expected, propels the Japanese carmaker to the third spot this month. Sales of the Brio were stopped in July to produce more units of the Mobilio anticipating strong demand. 15,709 units were sold in July 2014, a rise of 40 percent over the same period last year. The City continues to be Honda’s bestseller with 7,705 units followed by the Amaze and now the Mobilio. Since Honda had just a week for deliveries of the Mobilio last month, we expect numbers to rise in August. Honda exported 858 units last month.

4. Mahindra 

Mahindra is yet to find a way to arrest the drop in sales. Being a one dimensional manufacturer has hurt the Indian carmaker a bit. Mahindra car sales dipped 5 percent in July standing at 14,708 units from 15,530 units in July 2013. Moreover, first quarter sales are down 11 percent indicating a sustained decline and not a one-off bad month. The SUV manufacturer is updating the Scorpio and a new MPV and compact SUV are on the cards too but there’s plenty of time for that. 

5. Toyota

The new Altis is its segment best seller and Indians seem to have taken to the Etios Cross because Toyota is doing fine. Sales are up 4 percent, the company selling 11,921 units in July 2014 compared to 11,515 units in July 2013. There’s little chance of the Japanese carmaker catching up with Mahindra and a good chance of getting pushed out of the top five if the Zest turns out to be a good seller for Tata Motors. Tata Motors is sixth on the list and might just be on the brink of a turn around. Toyota’s exports stood at 1,926 units in July.