Two-wheeler Sales Report – April 2017

Honda inches closer to Hero in overall monthly sales numbers

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) had a phenomenal financial year 2016-17 registering sales of over 5 million units for the first time ever. Now, the sales numbers for April 2017 are out, and it seems that their hunger for growth is still not satisfied. With sales of over 5.7 lakh units, the company recorded 34 percent growth in April – the highest in a single month. Leading the charge was their best-selling scooter Activa, which continues to account for more than 50 percent of their monthly sales numbers.

Interestingly, with the kind of growth that HMSI is recording, the gap between them and Hero MotoCorp is reducing. Currently, Hero MotoCorp is the highest selling two-wheeler manufacturer in the country. The company sold about 5.9 lakh units in April 2017 as opposed to 6.12 lakh units in the corresponding month last year – decreasing by about 3.4 percent. At this pace, it is only a matter of time before HMSI takes over the title from Hero MotoCorp.

Meanwhile, April 2017 was a great month for Royal Enfield too, as it managed to sell over 60,000 units for the first time ever. Of these, more than 56,000 units sold were their 350cc offerings.

A recent statement from the TVS Motor Company revealed that the company has recorded a growth of 8 percent in the month of April 2017. The Hosur-based two-wheeler manufacturer sold 2.4 lakh units in April 2017 as opposed to 2.2 lakh units in the corresponding month last year. Just like HMSI, a hefty chunk of the overall sales comes from TVS’ strong scooter portfolio. TVS sold 81,443 scooters last month, which is notably higher than the 63,341 units they sold in April 2016. Yamaha’s sales grew by 8 percent too – 68,927 units in April 2017 from 63,927 in the same month last year.

Suzuki too has recorded a considerable growth in its sales in April 2017. Sales numbers grew from 25,343 units in April 2016 to 36,389 units last month resulting in a growth of 43 percent. Leading the charge for Suzuki is the popular 155cc Gixxer siblings.

Meanwhile, domestic sales for Bajaj have slid by 19 percent – down from 2,00,433 units to 1,61,930 units in the domestic market. The considerable drop in domestic sales has been nullified by a significant rise in their exports. Bajaj Auto exported 1,32,002 units in April this year as opposed to 91,465 units in the same month last year. Overall sales of 2,93,932 instead of 2,91,898 from last year means a meagre growth of just one percent in its motorcycle business.