Two-Wheeler Makers End 2017 In A Positive Note With Healthy Sales Growth In December

Indian two-wheeler manufacturers have ended calendar year 2017 in a positive note by posting healthy double digit monthly sales growth during December. 

Barring Bajaj Auto, rest almost all the companies have witnessed double digit growth in their sales figures.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India

Honda’s December domestic sales grew by solid 77 per cent from 205,158 units in 2016 to 363,226 units in 2017.

Led by Activa and the new Grazia and Cliq, Honda’s December scooter sales grew by 57 per cent from 151,758 units in 2016 to 238,818 units in 2017. 

Boosted by India’s best-selling 125cc motorcycle CB Shine, Honda’s motorcycle sales in December fast-tracked 133 per cent from 53,400 units in 2016 to 124,408 units in 2017.

Commenting on Honda’s outlook for FY 2017-18, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said, “Looking back, 2017 was the year of disruption for the industry. Accelerated customer buying shift within segments saw scooters becoming popular in the traditionally motorcycle dominated states too." 

"New capacity expansion, 3 new product launches and increased network penetration in tier II and tier III markets resulted in Honda successfully breaching the 5 million sales mark for the first time in 2017. Moving ahead, we are confident of meeting our target of 6 million unit sales in 2017-18.”

Hero MotoCorp

Hero MotoCorp sold 472,731 units in December 2017, as against 330,202 units in the corresponding month (December 2016), registering a strong growth of 43 per cent. 

When it comes to calendar year 2017, Hero MotoCorp surpassed the landmark seven million units in cumulative sales. The company sold a record 72,07,363 units of two-wheelers in the period January – December 2017. 

In December, the company unveiled three new motorcycles – the 125cc Super Splendor, the 110cc Passion PRO and the 110cc Passion XPRO – to further augment its leadership in the domestic market. These motorcycles will be introduced in a phased manner starting January 2018. 

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp said, “2017 has been a landmark year in our strategic

endeavor to further consolidate our market leadership. Despite the challenging industry environment, we successfully created a series of benchmarks, not only for the Indian market but also for the global automotive industry."

"We are now entering the last quarter of this fiscal with a strong focus on the premium segment and scooters and we are confident of sustaining our growth momentum.”

TVS Motor Company

Domestic two-wheelers recorded growth of 35.4 per cent with sales increasing from 153,456 units in December 2016 to 207,778 units in December 2017. 

Scooter sales of the company grew by 50.5 per cent from 55,557 units in December 2016 to 83,640 units in December 2017. Motorcycles sales grew by 63.7 per cent with sales increasing from 58,211 units in December 2016 to 95,281 units in December 2017.

Bajaj Auto

Bajaj Auto’s domestic motorcycle sales did not post double digit growth. However, its sales increased 6 per cent and stood at 112,930 units. This is the company’s highest sales growth in seven years and fifth straight increase for the month of December.

Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield posted a strong sales of 65,367 motorcycles in December 2017, closing the month by recording a growth of 16 per cent over the same period last year. During December 2016, 56,316 Royal Enfiled Motorcycles were sold.

During the said month, Royal Enfield sold 15 limited edition Stealth Black Classic 500 motorcycles, within 15 seconds, which were ridden by NSG Black Cat Commandos on a mission to raise awareness against terrorism.

Suzuki Motorcycle India

Suzuki Motorcycle India’s domestic sales contributed 32,786 units, up from 21,362 units in December 2016; while exports stood at 7,000 units; as against 5,133 units recorded for the same-month last year. 

Commenting on the performance, Sajeev Rajasekhran, EVP, Sales and Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India said, “While December is typically a lean-month for two-wheelers, we are thrilled to have been able to record a year-on-year growth of 50 per cent during this month as well. With over 4 lakh sales completed in this financial year already, we are well-poised to achieve our annual target of 5 lakh sales annually.” 

“For Suzuki Motorcycle India, 2017 has been a special year. Not only have we enjoyed a stellar growth in terms of sales, but also as a brand we have grown in leaps and bounds. However, we do realize that this is just the beginning. 2018 promises to be even bigger and better with exciting products, announcements and partnerships in the offing. The onus is now on us to ride this momentum into the next-year as well.”