Passenger car exports are up 70 per cent in April-August 2003 period compared with the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

In August 2003, 8,129 cars were exported, which is a 25 per cent improvement over exports for the same month in the previous year.

However, August seems to have been a slow month for passenger car exports as the growth rate fell from 84 per cent in April-July 2003 to just 70 per cent in the April-August 2003.

The growth was not just restricted to passenger car segment, utility vehicles witnessed a healthy growth of 733 per cent in August 2003 with 225 vehicles exported when compared with the exports for August 2002.

Multi purpose vehicles, a segment where exports showed very little growth in April-July 2003, posted a 538 per cent improvement in August 2003 and a 80 per cent improvement in the April-August period when compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

Total passenger vehicle export volumes were up 29 per cent in August 2003 when compared with the corresponding period for the previous year.

Total volumes for April-August 2003 period were up 73 per cent at 46,013 vehicles when compared with the same period of 2002.

The two-wheeler segment showed a 32 per cent improvement in August 2003 at 18,558 vehicles when compared with exports for the same month in 2002.

There was also a 67 per cent improvement in the total exports of two-wheelers in April-August. The growth was led by the scooters which posted a 68 per cent increase in August 2003 and a 109 per cent improvement in April-August.

Trucks and buses posted a 23 per cent increase in August 2003 and a 13 per cent increase for the April-August 2003.

Only the small buses showed a fall of 14 per cent in August though it posted a 59 per cent increase in the April-August 2003 period when compared with the same period in the previous year.