August Auto Sales: Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and Maruti set the pace; Tata, M&M post strong growth

India's auto sector accelerated sharply in August, with several major manufacturers posting year-on-year growth. Two-wheelers dominated the volume charts, while passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle makers had solid gains for the month.

Hero MotoCorp had the highest sales of 5.68 lakh, followed by Bajaj Auto's 5.35 lakh units and Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India's 5.79 lakh units. Maruti Suzuki witnessed a 21% increase in overall sales while Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra saw robust gains in important areas, NDTVprofit reported.

Maruti Suzuki sales rise 21%

Maruti Suzuki recorded a sales jump of 21% in August, selling 2.19 lakh vehicles, compared with the same month last year. Domestic sales jumped 29% to 1.85 lakh units, and domestic passenger vehicle sales grew 35% to 1.76 lakh units.

Exports were down 7% year-on-year to 33,844 units. The company’s total sales were below the estimated 2.40 lakh units.

Tata Motors passenger vehicles jump 56%

Tata Motors' passenger vehicle segment has also seen decent sales growth. Total PV sales rose 56% year-on-year to 67,753 units, beating the estimated 65,500 units. Sales in the domestic market grew 59% to 65,253 PV units. International business sales were 2,500 units, up 8%.

Tata Motors' commercial vehicle sales rose 49% to 44,411 units as well. Domestic CV sales increased 33%, and exports increased by 227% to 7,792 units.

Mahindra, Hyundai and Ashok Leyland

Mahindra & Mahindra reported auto sales of 59,257 units, which is 50% higher year-on-year but less than the expected 62,000 units. In the commercial vehicle segment, its sales grew 28% to 42,337 vehicles, and exports grew 71%.

Mahindra's tractor sales increased slightly by 5% to 29,507 units compared to the estimated sales of 28,950 units. Hyundai Motor India recorded a total sale of 65,796 vehicles, up 8.8%. Domestic sales grew 23.6% to 54,396 units. Ashok Leyland posted a 38% rise in total unit sale numbers to 21,038. The domestic market increased by 43% to 19,438 units.

Two-wheeler makers deliver strong numbers

Hero MotoCorp was one of the highest-volume players, with overall sales increasing by 2.6% to 5.68 lakh units. Domestic sales grew 4.5% to 5.42 lakh units. Sales of scooters rose by 42.8%, and motorcycle sales fell by 1.5%. Total sales by Bajaj Auto increased 28% year on year to 5.35 lakh. Exports of this increased by 51% to 2.80 lakh units, contributing to the overall growth.

TVS Motors sold 6.16 lakh units, growing 21%. It sold 59,453 units of electric two-wheelers, up from 25,138 units a year ago. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India's total sales grew 8% to 5.79 lakh. Home sales grew 8% and exports grew 15%.

Royal Enfield exports rise

In August, the Royal Enfield sold 1.26 lakh motorcycles, compared to an estimated 1.23 lakh units. Exports increased 10% to 12,275 units, while motorcycles sold above 350 cc dropped 13%.

Eicher Motors' total sales increased by 17.7% to 8,434. Domestic sales grew 19.8%, but exports fell by 2.5%. Total sales at SML Mahindra also jumped 40% to 1,175 units. The sales of cargo vehicles rose 53% to 492 units, and the sales of passenger vehicles rose 31% to 683 units.

Disclaimer: Sales figures and analyst estimates cited above are based on company-reported August sales updates and the market data provided for this report.