India car sales analysed - February 2021

The month of February is the shortest one in a year, however, that has not deterred car sales in the country. The positive growth in sales can be witnessed in the month of February as well, wherein Maruti Suzuki takes the lead in sales followed by Hyundai and Tata Motors taking second and third place, respectively. The Indian government introduced the Covid-19 vaccine in mid-January, with vaccination being carried out in a phased manner. A gradual improvement in businesses has also improved buyer sentiments.           

Maruti Suzuki witnessed cumulative sales of 1,39,002 units in January 2021. In February, the company has witnessed a further increase in sales wherein the company sold 1,44,761 units in the country as compared to 1,33,702-unit sales in the same period last year, thereby witnessing 8.3 per cent growth in sales. The top-three key contributors for Maruti Suzuki in February were the Swift (20,264 units), Baleno (20,070 units), and the WagonR (18,728 units). 

Hyundai, India’s largest car exporter continues to be the second bestseller in the country. The company has witnessed a healthy growth of 29 per cent with 51,600-unit sales last month as against 40,010-unit sales in February 2020. The top-three popular sellers for Hyundai last month were – the Creta (12,428 units), Venue (11,224 units), and the Grand i10 (10,270 units).

Tata Motors reported a cumulative sales of 27,224-unit sales as against 12,430-unit sales in the same period last year. Interestingly, the Indian utility vehicle manufacturer has witnessed an impressive 119 per cent growth in February 2021 as against the same period in 2020. The top-three popular sellers for the company last month were – the Nexon (7,929 units), the Altroz (6,832 units), and the Tiago (6,787 units). 

Kia Motors has reclaimed its lost position to Mahindra in February 2021 with 16,702 units in February 2021 as against 15,644-unit sales in the same period last year, thereby witnessing a growth of 6.8 per cent in sales in India last month. Kia Motors continues to compete strongly in the Indian market with just a three-product line-up – Seltos, Sonet, and the Carnival. The Seltos and the Sonet have been the key contributors with 9,869-unit and 8,859-unit sales, respectively.

One of the country’s popular utility car manufacturer, Mahindra sold 15,380 cumulative units in India in February 2021 as compared to 10,756-unit sales in the same period last year, thereby witnessing a growth of 43 per cent last month. The Bolero (4,843 units), Scorpio (3,532 units), and the XUV300 (3,174 units) were the key contributors to the overall sales.

Toyota registered a 35.9 per cent growth in sales last month. The company sold 14,069 units in the country last month as compared to 10,352-unit sales in the same period last year. The key contributors to this figure were the Innova Crysta (6,018 units), Glanza (2,743 units), and the Urban Cruiser (2,549 units).

Renault has witnessed a 25.7 per cent growth with 11,043-unit sales in February 2021 as against 8,784-unit sales in the same period last year. The Renault Kwid (3,927 units), Triber (3,553 units), and the Kiger (3,226 units) were the popular sellers for the company. 

Honda Amaze continued to be a strong seller for the company in India last month. Honda cumulatively sold 9,342 units last month as against 7,269-unit sales in the same period last year, thereby registering a strong 28 per cent growth in sales. The Honda Amaze sales have dropped by 15 per cent with 4,939 units sold last month as against 5,814-unit sales in February 2020. The Honda City is the second bestseller for the company with 2,524-unit sales last month.

Ford has registered a 17.7 per cent drop in sales, with 5,775-unit sales in February 2021 as against 7,019-unit sales in the same period last year.

MG Motors currently has four models on sale in India – the Hector, Hector Plus, Gloster, and the ZS EV. The company has registered an impressive growth of 214.6 per cent growth in sales with 4,329-unit sales last month as compared to 1,376-unit sales in the same period last year.

Nissan has registered a strong growth of 312.8 per cent growth in February 2021 with 4,244-unit sales in February 2021 as compared to 1,028-unit sales in the same period last year. The Nissan Magnite alone has contributed to the overall sales with 2,991 unit sales last month. 

The German car manufacturer, Volkswagen has witnessed 524.6 per cent growth in sales with 2,186-unit sales last month as against 350-unit sales in the same period last year. 

FCA has also witnessed 65.6 per cent growth in sales with 1,103-unit sales in February 2021 as compared to 666-unit sales in the same period last year.

Skoda has witnessed a 32.2 per cent drop in sales with 853-unit sales in February 2021 as compared to 1,259-unit sales in the same period last year.

Overall, we have witnessed a significant improvement in car sales in India last month. Going forward, new product launches across segments will further boost sales across the segment. The last three months in the current fiscal year will be the strongest for manufacturers that have in general witnessed a lack-lustre demand for the most part of the year.