With petrol prices and diesel in India rising almost every single day and reaching new record highs, one would expect auto sales to slow down. In fact, auto sales in May 2018 have been on the increase with the likes of Maruti Suzuki and Toyota both showcasing growth in most segments. Car sales have also recently shown an upward trend due to the fact that many automakers are offering discounts on older models and variants while preparing for the salvo of new launches that are expected to come just in time for the looming festive season. Another trend that is noteworthy is the fact that Indian car buyers are moving more and more towards petrol cars as compared to diesel due to a smaller differential in fuel prices between these two fossil fuels.
(Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza AMT)
Maruti Suzuki showcased a total growth of 26 per cent over May 2017 in terms of overall sales. India's largest automaker accounts for more than 50 per cent of all car sales in India. Domestic sales for Maruti Suzuki stood at 1,63,200 units overall while export figures were at 9312 units. The likes of the Swift, Dzire and the Baleno have been pushing sales figures along with the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza that now also has an AMT gearbox option. Maruti Suzuki also showcased good growth with the vans and light commercial vehicles. Sales for the Alto+WagonR segment and the Ciaz was lower than May 2017 though.
(Toyota Yaris)
Toyota India also showcased a growth of nearly 20 per cent as compared to May 2017. The Japanese automaker has been on quite a roll with their newest sedan, the Yaris clocking great sales (over 4000 units) after being launched in mid-May. The likes of the Fortuner and of course the hot-selling Innova continued to push sales for the Japanese automaker.
Also Watch: Toyota Yaris Takes On the Hyundai Verna
(2018 Mahindra XUV500 Facelift)
Mahindra too showcased a good sales growth of 12 per cent overall. Domestic sales for both passenger and commercial vehicles were up by 8 per cent while exports were up 134 per cent (3031 units). The passenger vehicles sales which includes the likes of the recently updated Mahindra XUV500 and the popular Scorpio showed a marginal increase of 2 per cent with sales figures of 20715 units. Light commercial vehicles showcased a growth of 15 per cent while the Van segment showed a growth of 34 per cent as compared to May 2017
Also Read: Mahindra XUV 500 Facelift - Detailed Review
(Ford EcoSport S is the new top-end model in the line-up which now gets the EcoBoost engine)
Ford India, with the recent launch of the new Ford Freestyle and the Ecosport S also showcased a higher sales figure as compared to May 2017. Sales were up by 11.4 per cent to 26,188 units overall. Domestic sales in May were at 9,069 units as compared to 6,742 units last year while exports grew to 17,119 units in May 2018 as compared to 16,761 units in May 2017. Apart from the Ecosport S that brought back the EcoBoost engine, Ford has also recently launched the Ecosport in a new top-of-the-line Signature trim level.
Also Read: Ford Ecosport S Review
(Tata Nexon AMT)
Tata Motors' Passenger Vehicles registered a growth of over 61 per cent at 17489 units in May 2018 as compared to 10855 units in May 2017. While cars such as the Tigor and Tiago registered a growth of 18 per cent at 11516 units, the utility vehicles segment saw sales at 5973 units, mainly because of the Nexon. Tata Motors has also launched the Nexon sub-compact SUV with an AMT gearbox recently and you can read that review HERE. Domestic sales of Tata Motors' Commercial Vehicles in May 2018 stood at 36,806 units, an increase of 56 per cent compared to 23,606 units in May 2017.
(New Honda Amaze drives sales for Honda India)
Honda Cars India finally seems to have bounced back from a bit of a slumber and has registered monthly domestic sales of 15,864 units in May 2018 against 11,278 units in May 2017. The big sales jump was mainly due to the Amaze which has clocked a very impressive sales figure of 9789 units - the highest ever for a Honda car in India in a single month. This is mainly due to the fact that the Amaze gets both petrol and diesel engines with both engines getting an automatic CVT gearbox option.
Also Read: New Honda Amaze Review
(Hyundai Creta Facelift)
Hyundai Motor India registered the domestic sales of 45008 units and exports of 11,008 units for the month of May 2018. This saw it grow by 7 per cent as compared to the same period last year. The sales were driven by the likes of recently updated vehicles like the i20 and the i20 Active. The standard Hyundai i20 now also gets a CVT automatic gearbox. Hyundai has also recently updated the Creta with a major mid-life facelift. Expect that to make a big difference to sales figures for June 2018 though.
Also Read: Hyundai Creta Facelift Review
