Sales of SUVs continue to soar; small cars fall
Live MintGrowth in passenger vehicle sales moderated to 3% year-on-year at 1.03 million units in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, with a steep 17.5% drop in sales of small cars sold during the quarter compared to the same period a year ago. SUVs constituted 63% of all passenger vehicle sales to 646,000 units in the June quarter, the highest ever for a single quarter so far, data released by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers showed on Friday. Two-wheeler dispatches in the first quarter of FY24 rose to 4,985,631 units, up 20% compared to 4,140,964 units in the same quarter last year, slowly inching back to their pre-covid peak levels. Aggarwal also outlined that SIAM is seeking a higher capex outlay in the Union Budget for continued infrastructure spending to boost commercial vehicle sales, measures to stimulate the rural economy as the automotive sector witnesses a revival in rural demand, and incentives in the form of the FAME-III policy to aid demand for electric vehicles.