Year-end discounts did not catch the imagination of car customers as manufacturers reported weak numbers in December.

Car makers reported either a marginal increase or a decline in offtake during the month on account of adverse macro-economic conditions.

Maruti , Hyundai, Honda and Tata Motors posted a single digit growth in domestic passenger vehicle sales during the period under review, while Mahindra & Mahindra reported a 3 per cent decline in sales.

However, Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest car maker, has reported a 1.3 per cent decline in overall sales at 1,28,338 units in December. The company had sold 1,30,066 units in December last year.

While domestic sales were up 1.8 per cent at 1,21,479 units last month against 1,19,286 units in the year-ago month, the overall sales numbers were pulled down by weak exports, which contracted 36.4 per cent at 6,859 units against 10,780 units a year ago.

Sales of mini cars comprising Alto and WagonR were at 27,661 units compared with 32,146 units in December last year — down 14 per cent. The compact segment, including the Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire, were down 3.8 per cent at 51,334 units against 53,336 units in December last year, the company said.

Similarly, Tata Motors reported an 8 per cent decline in sales to 50,440 units in December compared with 54,627 units a year ago.

The company’s passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market rose 1 per cent to 14,260 units last month compared with 14,180 units in December 2017. Total exports during the month stood at 3,999 units, against 6,293 units in December last year, showing a dip of 36 per cent, the firm said.

However, Hyundai Motor India reported a 4.6 per cent increase in domestic sales at 42,093 units in December 2018. The company had sold 40,158 units in December 2017.

In 2018, it sold sold 7,10,012 units, its highest ever in a year, compared with 6,78,221 units in 2017, it added. Domestic sales during the year rose 4.3 per cent to 5,50,002 units compared with 5,27,320 units in 2017. Exports rose to 1,60,010 units, up 6 per cent from 1,50,901 units in 2017.

Honda Cars reported a 4 per cent increase in its domestic sales to 13,139 units in December against 12,642 in December 2017, HCIL said in a statement. The company also exported 315 units last month.

Toyota Kirloskar reported a 10 per cent increase in car sales in December to 11,830 units compared with 10,793 units a year ago.

The Telegraph