Dwindling auto sales were the talk of the town in October 2011, but this trend seems to be changing if the sales reports of November 2011 are to be believed. One of the companies to benefit this month is Nissan Motor India Private Limited, which grew by a stupendous 149 per cent (Year on Year) in the month of November. Others that gained include Tata Motors, Hyundai India and Toyota Kirloskar, giving rise to hopes that 2012 may be favourable for the Indian auto industry.
The Japanese automotive giant, Nissan, unveiled its Sunny sedan in India in the month of September 2011. In just three months, the company was able to sell a total of 3130 units in the country, while the figures for only November stand at 1131 vehicles. On the other hand, the company was able to sell 1514 units of its hatchback, Micra. This depicts a 47 per cent Year on Year increase in sales of the car in the Indian market. The other cars that swelled the coffers of Nissan India were X-TRAIL SUV, 370Z sports car and Teana sedan.
These sales volumes show that buyers are warming up to Nissan cars in India, with the company reporting steadily increasing demand for Sunny as well as Micra. The base model of Sunny bears a price tag of Rs. 5.78 lacs, the mid-variant, XL, costs Rs. 6.88 lacs and top end model, XV, is priced at Rs. 7.68 lacs.
Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd., commented, "Achieving this level of sales performance in the current difficult market conditions in India reflects Nissan's growing popularity in the Indian market. The locally manufactured Sunny and Micra give a great impetus to our continued growth in India, and we are confident of accelerating this journey much faster in the coming months."
Dinesh Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Hover Automotive India (HAI), Nissan's sales and marketing partner in India, quipped, "Acceptance of Nissan models by customers in the most turbulent of economic conditions shows that customers' preference towards the Nissan brand is growing day by day."
Warding off negative market conditions, Tata Motors also grew in India as well as abroad. In India, the company registered 81 per cent Year on Year growth in November 2011 for Tata passenger cars. Likewise, the company recorded a 76 per cent increase in the cumulative sales of Tata and Ford passenger vehicles in the domestic market.
Hyundai India, India's second largest car manufacturer, also raised the hopes of auto experts by showing a 10 per cent Year on Year growth in the domestic market. The company primarily operates in the small car segment, which has seen many new launches. So, the car manufacturer posted decent sales figures considering the current market conditions in India. However, the company registered a cumulative 28.1 per cent increase in sales when exports are also taken into account.
Such sales figures show that the car market is reviving after witnessing a sharp slump in the month of October 2011.
