Car, two-wheelers sales zoom in September

Mumbai: Domestic sale by car companies grew at a healthy 22.4 per cent in September this year at 94,734 units against 77,384 units in the same month last year. As many as nine of the 11 car makers - except General Motors and Hindustan Motors - saw sales going up in September, according to figures released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

Market leader Maruti Udyog, Hyundai India, Tata Motors, Ford India, Honda Siel and Skoda Auto India saw a surge in demand during the period.

Car sales in the first half of this fiscal have grown 22.8 per cent at 5,03,249 units against 4,09,681 units in April-September 2005 period, SIAM said.

Two-wheelers
Among two-wheelers, Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto led the charge as bike sales in September grew 24.8 per cent at 6,72,570 units against 5,38,889 units in the same month last year.

The growth rate was the highest for Bajaj Auto, which saw bike sales rise by a whopping 48 per cent at 245,759 units against the 10 per cent surge for Hero Honda. TVS Motors also saw numbers rise in September with 99,401 units sold against 70,652 units in same month last year.

Vehicle sales generally slow down in the 'shradh' period, considered inauspicious for new purchases, forcing companies to offer discounts and schemes to attract customers. However, demand peaks during the festival period beginning the Navratri.