Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors clock double-digit growth in March

Leading carmakers Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors on Sunday posted double-digit growth in vehicle sales for March 2018 compared to a year ago.

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki reported a 14.9 per cent increase in total sales at 1,60,598 units in March against 1,39,763 units in the year-ago month. The company's domestic sales stood at 1,48,582 units, up 16.1 per cent from 1,27,999 units in March last year, MSI said in a statement.

Its exports during the month were up 2.1 per cent to 12,016 units as compared to 11,764 units in the same month last year. Sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR, witnessed a 21.1 per cent jump to 37,511 units during March, while sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Dzire and Baleno jumped 13.5 per cent to 68,885 units. MSI said sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz declined by 12.1 per cent to 4,321 units.

Sales of utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara, Ertiga, S-Cross and compact SUV Vitara Brezza, increased by 24.3 per cent to 22,764 units in March, from 18,311 units in the same month of 2017. Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco --increased by 17.7 per cent to 13,689 units last month as against 11,628 units in the year-ago period.

Tata Motors reported 35 per cent increase in total sales to 69,440 units in March as compared to 51,309 units in the same month last year.

Domestic sales of its commercial vehicles grew by 37 per cent to 49,174 units in March compared to 35,876 units in the same month previous year.

This growth was on the back of government's push towards infrastructure development, Tata Motors said in a BSE filing. Sales of SUVs and cars in the domestic market grew 31 per cent to 20,266 units last month. Exports during the month went up by 17 per cent at 6,443.