India’s Car Sales Rise 7%

Sales of passenger vehicles in India climbed to 143,500 units last month from 134,500 units in July 2011, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

The group noted that some of the increase in July was the result of the comparison to very low sales a year earlier when a strike at market leader Maruti Suzuki limited the company's vehicle supply. SIAM says high interest rates, steep gasoline prices and India's weak economy continue to dampen auto demand.

Maruti's sales rose 8% to 56,900 units last month. Demand grew 8% to 27,500 vehicles at Hyundai and soared 51% to 21,200 units at Tata. But volume fell at BMW, Daimler, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda and Volkswagen.

Sales of trucks and buses edged up 1% to 65,000 units in July.

Passenger vehicle sales climbed 6% to 634,300 units in the first seven months of 2012.