The automobile industry continued to show signs of distress with car sales declining by 8 per cent in November due to poor consumer sentiment.
The post-festive season slump has affected almost all segments of the industry, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said, adding that it expects turnaround in the this sector only after a new government is formed after the general elections scheduled next year.
“We had anticipated that sales in November will decline as after the festive season demand dries up. All the segments, except two wheelers, are negative and going through a challenging phase,” SIAM Deputy Director-General Sugato Sen told reporters here.
According to the data released by the industry body, domestic passenger car sales stood at 1.43 lakh units in November against 1.56 lakh units in the same month last year. “The sluggish market conditions have forced potential customers to delay their purchases. The current situation is unlikely to change till the time a new government comes. At this stage, this government cannot do anything spectacular to bring about a revival,” he added.
All major carmakers posted negative sales during the month under reference.
While country’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India’s domestic sales dipped by 4.22 per cent to 71,649 units, Hyundai Motor India’s sales declined by 3.66 per cent to 33,427 units.
Likewise, Tata Motors saw its car sales dropped by 41.57 per cent to 7,910 units, while Mahindra & Mahindra’s domestic sales declined by 30.46 per cent to 16,249 units.
Sales of Honda Cars, on the other hand, jumped to 9,310 units on the back of its compact sedan Amaze, up from 3,711 units in the year-ago month. The SIAM data showed total two-wheeler sales grew by 5.55 per cent to 12.41 lakh units in November from 11.75 lakh units in the year-ago period.
Motorcycle sales during the month improved by 1.44 per cent to 8.80 lakh units from 8.68 lakh units , while scooter sales stood at 3.06 lakh units, up 25.03 per cent.
Commercial vehicles sales were down by 28.78 per cent to 43,730 units, SIAM said.
