Car sales in October up 7.6 per cent

14 November 2005

New Delhi: Car sales in October 2005 were up 7.6 per cent against the same month a year earlier, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

SIAM said 79,403 passenger cars were sold in October compared with 73,772 units in October 2004.

Sales of commercial vehicles, such as buses and trucks, rose 18.8 percent to 31,663 units compared to the same month last year.

Maruti Udyog and Hyundai Motors claimed to have recorded their highest sales in a single month in October.

Maruti Udyog saw a 14.7 per cent surge in sales of 50,308 units during October against 43,650 units in the same month last year. While sales of the entry-level Maruti 800 continued downwards, sales of the Alto, Wagon R, Zen and the Swift gained significant ground with a 35 per cent increase. However, exports slipped 77 per cent to 1,235 units.

Hyundai Motor also recorded its highest monthly sales at 15,801 units in the domestic market, clocking 19 per cent growth over October 2004, while exports fell 5 per cent to 8,961 units during the month, taking cumulative growth to 9 per cent.