The 2016-17 financial year kicked off on a positive note for automakers as most manufacturers reported growing numbers for April, 2016. With the commencing on a positive note, car makers are optimistic that the year will bring in volumes with a host of new models lined up for launch.
1) Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki's new launches are contributing positively to overall sales
India's largest automaker, Maruti Suzuki continues to lead the bandwagon in terms of growth with 1,17,045 units sold in April this year. The manufacturer clocked a year-on-year hike of 7.06 per cent in sales. However, its entry-level models the Alto and Wagon R witnessed a drop in numbers with cumulative sales of 31,906 as opposed to 35,403 units sold last year, a drop of 9.9 per cent. Nevertheless, the mid-size hatchback and compact sedan segment were growth drivers for the automaker with 45,700 units pushed out with a hike of 8 per cent. The Ciaz also reported a hike of 22.3 per cent in April 2016. The automaker did witness a 13.7 per cent drop in export volumes with 9524 units shipped last month compared to the same period last year.
2) Hyundai India
The Hyundai Creta commands 50 per cent sales of the compact SUV segment
A distant second, Hyundai India projected a year-on-year growth of 9.7 per cent last month clocking 42,351 units in domestic sales. The automaker's growth momentum was largely driven by models like the Creta, Elite i20 and Grand i10 that have shown impressive performance in their respective segments. The automaker was particularly proud of the growth despite the challenging rural market. The company however, saw exports drop by 6.5 per cent in April 2016 with 12,069 units shipped out, as opposed to the 12,904 units sold in April 2015.
3) Renault India
India is Renault's sixth largest market globally
Growing at lightning pace thanks to the super success of the Kwid, Renault India reported an overwhelming growth of 211 per cent for April this year with 12,426 units sold. The company attributed its success to its entry-level offering that has not only found takers in metros, but in tier II and III cities as well. The company is now focusing on increasing its presence across the country, while more variants of the Kwid with the 1.0-litre motor and an AMT unit are scheduled for launch later this year and are expected to drive the growth momentum further.
4) Ford India
Ford clocks growth despite the securing lower sales for the Figo and Figo Aspire models
Struggling to build volumes with the new Figo and Figo Aspire twins, Ford India witnessed a positive April, 2016 with 6531 units shipped out. The automaker saw sales grow by 32.45 per cent year-on-year, while exports grew to 9939 units, a hike of 7 per cent compared to the same period last year.
5) Honda Cars India
The City was the only model to bring volumes for Honda India
Honda Cars India (HCIL) registered sales of 10,486 units, a drop of 17 per cent compared to the 12,636 units sold during the same month last year. HCIL also exported a total of 496 units during April 2016. The Japanese automaker's popular sellers churned out fewer numbers with the Amaze retailing 2639 units, Jazz selling 869 units, whereas the Mobilio managed a paltry 374 units. The City though continued to retain its strong figures with 5973 units shipped out. Surprisingly, Honda also mentioned that 576 units of the yet to be launched BR-V were dispatched last month. These units however, include demo cars, display cars and production ready vehicles sent to dealers that will be delivered to customers once the compact SUV is officially launched on May 5.
