Despite a 23 per cent growth in sales recorded by the passenger car industry during May, Maruti Udyog Ltd's (MUL) sales (including exports) declined marginally by 0.24 per cent to 33,680 units as against 33,762 units in May 1998.

According to the latest figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) which launched its Santro models in India late last year, cornered 9.5 per cent market share in May.

Another new entrant Daewoo Motors India Ltd (DMIL) improved its position by capturing a market share of 4.7 per cent during the month as against 2.3 per cent a year ago.

Telco, which had a market share of only 0.6 per cent in May last year, grabbed 5.1 per cent share in May this year mainly due to growing popularity ofits small car "Indica" launched in December last. Other players such as Hindustan Motors and Ind Auto also saw their market share going up in May this year.

Maruti's market share was 74.5 per cent in April this year which slipped further to 70.8 per cent in May. Out of the total 47,578 cars sold by all passenger car manufacturers in May, Maruti vehicles alone accounted for 33,680 units.

The month of May also witnessed a decline in market share of luxury car producers Ford India Ltd and Honda Siel Cars India Ltd as their share slipped to 0.4 per cent and 1.5 per cent from 0.8 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively a year ago. Premier Automobiles was the worst hit as its share shrunk to 0.03 per cent in May from last year.

Market share of General Motors Ltd, Indian subsidiary of US auto giant General Motors, also declined to 0.4 per cent in May from 0.9 per cent a year ago.

Hindustan Motors' Sabre increased marginally to 3.8 per cent from 3.3 per cent as the company sold 1819 units in May this year asagainst 1282 units in the same month last year. Ind Auto improved its position by cornering 3.4 per cent market share during the review period as against one per cent in May last year.

MUL passenger car exports dropped 25 per cent while sale of its multi-utility vehicles in the foreign markets slid by 46 per cent. Maruti exported 1,487 units during May 1999 as against 2,004 in May 1998. However, Mercedes Benz India, with its E-class cars, captured the fancy of overseas buyers witnessing a major surge in sales, according to SIAM. Mercedes exported 100 units of the E-class during the month as against a 42 units in the same month last year even as exports in the entire passenger car industry recorded a 27 per cent drop.

TELCO witnessed a near total erosion in exports during the period as it could sell only nine units of passenger cars in the foreign markets as against 184 units a year earlier. Honda Siel cars were the new entrant in the list of passenger car exporters from India having shipped ten units fromits Surajpur plant during the month. Ind Auto sold 15 units abroad during the month. In the multi-utility vehicle segment, TELCO led the pack with a sharp surge in exports to touch 403 units. However, MUL and Mahindra & Mahindra saw their sales eroding in the foreign markets.