Tata Nano sales continue to grow! Clocks 7,723 units in January 2012!

The Tata Nano’s sales have climbed for the fifth consecutive month, in a very positive sign for both the small car and its parent company, Tata Motors Limited. The Nano registered 7,723 units in January 2012, a marginal improvement over the 7,466 units that Tata Motors dispatched to Tata dealers across the country. Tata Motors recently launched the upgraded 2012 Nano, which brought in a host of improvements, right from the interiors to the gear ratios of the car, very crucially without any increase in the price of the car.

2012 Tata Nano LX

Along with the big improvement in the Nano, Tata Motors has been offering attractive discounts and down payment offers on the 2012 Nano to push sales. Another effort from Tata Motors has been the push into rural areas of India with standalone Nano kiosks, taking this budget hatchback closer to people, which seems to slowly be delivering results with sales growing steadily over the past few months. That said, the Nano is still quite a mile away from being a profitable venture for Tata Motors and this is what will be bothering the powers to be at Tata.

Small cars sell at wafer thin margins and more so the Nano, which is the least priced car, not just in India, but the whole wide world. This means that Tata isn’t really making money on the Nano considering the volumes that this car is doing. After setting up a factory plant capable of producing over 250,000 Nanos a year, more than 75% of the capacity at Tata Motors’ plan at Sanand, Gujarat is unused. Typically, Tata needs to use at least 60% of the capacity to stay profitable with the Nano. This, evidently isn’t happening currently.

The diesel Nano, which will be Tata’s hope will not be here until 2013. But before that, another option for Tata would be the CNG version of the Nano, which the automaker showcased off at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. The Nano CNG might be good alternative to the diesel engined Nano for the time being, in bigger cities and towns at least, where CNG is more easily available. The sooner Tata makes the CNG Nano available widely, the better for the brand. Tata also showcased a Nano with disc brakes at the Auto Expo, perhaps an inkling of things to come from Tata in the future.

Source: ICB

Tata Motors January 2012 sales up 16%; Passenger Vehicle Sales Highest ever for any Month

Tata Motors total sales (including exports) of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles in January 2012 were 87,465 vehicles, higher by 16% over January 2011. The company's domestic sales of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles for January 2012 were 80,382 nos., higher by 14% over 70,475 nos., sold in January last year.

Cumulative sales (including exports) for the company for the fiscal are 714,235 nos., a growth of 11% over 642,415 nos., sold last year.



Commercial Vehicles

The company's sales of commercial vehicles in January 2012 in the domestic market were 45,713 nos., a 14% growth, compared to 40,263 vehicles, sold in January last year. LCV sales were 27,375 nos., a growth of 15%, compared to 23,776 vehicles sold in January, last year. M&HCV sales stood at 18,338 nos., a growth of 11%, compared to 16,487 vehicles sold in January, last year.

Cumulative sales of commercial vehicles in the domestic market for the fiscal are 420,045 nos., a growth of 18% over last year. Cumulative LCV sales are 254,340 nos., a growth of 24% over last year, while M&HCV sales stood at 165,705 nos., a growth of 10% over last year.

Passenger Vehicles

The passenger vehicles business reported a total sale and distribution offtake of 36,770 nos. (34,669 Tata + 2,101 Fiat) in the domestic market in January 2012, higher by 14% compared to 32,386 nos. (30,212 Tata + 2,174 Fiat) in January last year. Sales of Tata passenger vehicles for January 2012 are at 34,669 nos., a growth of 15% over 30,212 nos., sold in January last year, and highest ever for any month. Sales of the Tata Nano were 7,723 nos., higher by 15%, compared to 6,703 nos., sold in January, last year. The Indica range sales were 11,534 nos., higher by 9%, over 10,591 nos., sold in January, last year. The Indigo range recorded sales of 9,272 nos., higher by 10%, over 8,456 nos., sold in January, last year. The Sumo/ Safari/ Aria/ Venture range accounted for sales of 6,140 nos., a growth of 38%, over 4,462 nos., sold in January, last year.

Jaguar Land Rover sales in India continued their upward trend.

Cumulative sales and distribution offtake of passenger vehicles in the domestic market for the fiscal are 254,870 nos. (241,894 Tata + 12,976 Fiat), against 256,268 nos. (238,909 Tata + 17,359 Fiat) last year. Cumulative sales of Tata passenger vehicles were 241,894 nos., compared to 238,909 nos., till January last year. Cumulative sales of the Nano are 54,835 nos., higher by 3%, compared to 53,463 nos., till January last year. Cumulative sales of the Indica range are 83,862 nos., higher by 4%. Cumulative sales of the Indigo family are 60,843 nos., lower by 15%. Cumulative sales of the Sumo/ Safari/ Aria/ Venture range are 42,354 nos., higher by 29%.

Exports

The company's sales from exports at 7,083 vehicles in January 2012 are higher by 43% compared to 4,948 vehicles in January last year. The cumulative sales from exports for the fiscal at 52,296 nos. are higher by 10% over 47,608 nos., in the same period last year.

Source: Tata Motors