Indian Car Sales Sustain Overall Growth In August 2020

The top carmakers are recording significant year-on-year increase in demand as well

The Indian automotive industry is not only recovering from the nationwide lockdown but seems to be thriving at this point in time. The sales figures for August 2020 are out and many manufacturers are reporting a year-on-year growth in demand, aided by new launches and model updates. Here are the brand-wise figures for August:

• Tata’s demand has grown the most since August 2019, some of which can be attributed to the launch of the Altroz premium hatchback as well as the updated Nexon sub-4m SUV. The homegrown carmaker has recorded a year-on-year increase in sales by over 150 per cent.

• On top of the monthly sales is Maruti as usual, this time well over the 1 lakh mark. The country’s biggest carmaker has made up for any drop in demand since the discontinuation of the diesel option with new products like the S-Presso and more affordable petrol-only models. It witnesses a year-on-year growth of over 20 per cent.

• Experiencing a similar year-on-year growth rate but with half the total sales of Maruti, is Hyundai. The Korean carmaker continues to diversify its product portfolio with model updates and has enjoyed a year-on-year sales increase of just under 20 per cent.

• Mahindra is experiencing a more gradual growth with a year-on-year increase of less than 4 percent. We can expect the brand’s monthly figures to grow a lot before the end of 2020 with the launch of the new-gen Thar in October.

• In the space of just one year, Kia’s sales figures have gone up by 74 percent thanks to the sustained popularity of the Seltos SUV. Its only new offering since then has been the Carnival premium MPV but the figures can be expected to grow a lot more with the launch of the Sonet sub-4m SUV later this month.

• Renault and Nissan seem to have recorded opposite results in terms of year-on-year sales. While the French carmaker has enjoyed a 41 percent growth, likely thanks to the success of the Triber, Nissan has seen its figures drop by the same margin in August 2020 as compared to August 2019.

• MG is the only other carmaker to have recorded a year-on-year growth (of over 40 per cent). The carmaker’s lineup has seen the addition of 2 models since then: the ZS EV and the Hector Plus. Overall, MG’s monthly sales are still under 3000 units.

• The Honda brand is experiencing a rapid recovery in terms of month-on-month sales with all of its mass-market offerings now available with BS6 engines. However, its year-on-year performance was still lower than the August 2019 figures by less than 10 per cent.

• The other Japanese carmaker in India is facing more of an uphill battle, its August 2020 demand being lower than last year’s sales by nearly 50 percent. Most of its affordable models, the Etios hatchback and sedan, have since been discontinued but the Urban Cruiser could be the one that changes the brand’s fortunes.

• Ford’s figures are rising in terms of month-on-month sales but it is still lacking behind its previous year’s sales by 14 percent.

• Not much has changed since August 2019 for Fiat’s only brand in India, Jeep. While still operating in the premium end of the market, the carmaker is still enjoying a month-on-month growth in demand but the year-on-year figures are down by over 20 percent.

• Volkswagen is the only carmaker here to have recorded a drop in month-on-month sales as well as lower year-on-year demand. 

• The Skoda brand is doing relatively better than its VW half with an increase in month-on-month sales but the year-on-year figures were still down by almost 14 percent.

Overall, the industry experienced a year-on-year growth of over 19 percent. With the festive season approaching soon, the monthly sales figures for most carmakers are likely to continue their climb. Stay tuned to CarDekho for more detailed sales stories as well.