Accelerated by top three automakers -- Maruti, Hyundai and Tata Motors -- the car sales posted a phenomenal 73.1 per cent rise in February, promising an impressive performance during 2003-04.

A total of 64,821 units were sold in the review month over 37,445 units in February 2003, figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers showed.

The continuous surge over the past few months also pushed up the cumulative (April-February 2003-04) sales by a robust 31 per cent to 620,000 units over 473,000 units during the year-ago period.

Bullish on the boom in infrastructure sector, the bus and truck sales grew by 32.3 per cent to 25,800 units.

The cumulative sales in the segment surged by 35.7 per cent to 290,000 units over 168,000 units during the same period last year.

The car sales have been in top gear with increasing disposable income in India and carmakers wooing customers with low interest finance schemes.

Traditionally, January and February have been good for car sales as prospective buyers postpone their plans to purchase in December.

The utility vehicle sales, an emerging segment, logged a hefty 46.3 per cent jump to 13,796 units while two-wheeler sales in the domestic market, the second-biggest in the world after China, went up by 16.7 per cent at 461,000 units.

Motorcycle and step-through sales surged by 17.6 per cent to 363,000 units while scooters and scooterettes registered 17.8 per cent growth to 71,363 units.

Moped sales also grew, albeit marginally, by 3.26 per cent to 26,471 units.

The sale of multi-purpose vehicles climbed 37.3 per cent to 4,779 units.

In the three-wheeler category, sales rose 35.2 per cent to 25,122 units.

In the car category, all the players notched up impressive numbers, except the Indian arm of beleaguered Italian automaker Fiat SpA.

Domestic market leader Maruti Udyog posted a whopping 79.2 per cent jump to 34,084 units while its closest rival Hyundai Motor India registered a rise of 67.7 per cent growth at 11,556 units.

Indigenous carmaker Tata Motors witnessed a rise of 43.6 per cent to 9,757 units and Toyota Kirloskar Motor sold 835 units, a rise of 144.8 per cent.

The Indian arm of the world's biggest carmaker, General Motors, logged a massive 150 per cent rise at 1,294 units while the Indian subsidiary of Ford Motor, posted a 42.5 per cent jump to 2,039 units.

C K Birla group flagship Hindustan Motors posted a 52.1 per cent growth to 1,363 units while sales of Honda Siel Cars India registered an impressive 727.3 per cent surge at 2,615 units.

Luxury carmaker DaimlerChrysler's sales grew by 948.2 per cent to 304 units and the local unit of Volkswagen group company Skoda Auto sold 452 units.

Sales of Fiat India slipped by 57.2 per cent to 522 units.