Passenger vehicle exports up 4 pc in April-Sept; Hyundai leads the pack

Passenger vehicle (PV) exports increased by over 4 per cent in the first half of the current fiscal, with Hyundai Motor India leading the segment with dispatches of over 1.03 lakh units to various geographies like Africa and Latin America, as per the latest data by SIAM.

PV exports stood at 3,65,282 units in April-September period of the current fiscal as compared with 3,49,951 units in the same period of 2018-19. Car shipments saw a 5.61 per cent increase at 2,86,495 units, while utility vehicle exports saw a marginal rise at 77,397 units during the April-September period, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers data showed.

However, vans witnessed a 27.57 per cent decline in exports at 1,390 units during the period under review as compared with 1,919 units in the same period last fiscal. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) led the segment, followed by Ford India and Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) at second and third positions respectively.

The South Korean automaker exported 1,03,300 units to overseas markets during the April-September period, up 19.26 per cent from same period last fiscal. The company exports vehicles to over 90 countries across Africa, Middle East, Latin America, Australia and Asia Pacific.

When contacted, Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO SS Kim told PTI, “Our global experience over the years helps us cater to the needs of 91 varied markets with different products.” Global sales trend has been gradually shifting from small cars to mid sized sedans and SUVs, he added. The company’s models like Grand i10 and i20 are popular in Africa and Latin America, while Creta and Verna find a lot of takers in African, Latin American and Middle East countries.

Ford India’s foreign dispatches stood at 71,850 units during April-September, down 6.6 per cent from year-ago period. On the other hand, domestic car market leader MSI exported 52,603 units across global markets, down 4.09 per cent from same period last year. General Motors India, which has ceased selling vehicles in the domestic market, shipped out 40,096 units during the period.

Volkswagen India exported 37,908 units in April-September period, followed by Nissan Motor India which dispatched 33,897 units. Home grown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra exported 7,280 units, while Renault India shipped out 6,885 units during the period. Toyota Kirloskar Motor dispatched 5,476 units during April-September period, while Honda Cars India exported 2,385 units to global markets. Other notable exporting companies during the period included FCA India and Tata Motors.