Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) was amongst the victims who suffered the wrath of a nationwide lockdown, which came into effect in March last year. Because of that, it could only retail 26,300 units locally and ship 5,979 units to markets abroad. Do the math, and the total comes out to be 32,279. That’s about half the number the company usually achieves in sales month-on-month.

Thankfully, markets are open, and people are shopping. Courtesy of improved consumer sentiment, HMIL closed March 2021 on quite a high. It sold 64,621 units last month, which means it clocked over a 100 per cent growth compared to the same month of 2020. The total comprises 52,600 domestic sales and 12,021 exports. Those numbers translate to a perfect 100 per cent increase in domestic sales and 101 per cent growth in exports.

Here’s what Tarun Garg, who is the director of sales, marketing and service at HMIL, said about the performance in an official statement:

Hyundai Motor India has portrayed resilience and perseverance towards contributing to the revival of the Indian Auto Industry. With cumulative sales of 64,621 units in March 2021, HMIL has built further on the sales momentum achieved over the last few months. This performance has been backed by our super performer brands such as the ultimate SUV – Creta, Venue, Spirited New Verna, Nios and the most awarded car of 2020, the all-new i20.

He further added:

Adding to the already strong portfolio of Hyundai SUVs, the upcoming 7-seater SUV – Alcazar will further set a new paradigm in the segment. Going forward, we shall continue to make efforts so as to remain the Brand of Choice for our beloved customers.

It was in February this year when Hyundai revealed that the three-row Creta would be called the Alcazar. About a month later, it unveiled three official sketches of the upcoming SUV. When it launches, it will slot between the Creta and the Tucson in Hyundai’s portfolio. As a product, the Alcazar will compete against the Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus and the Mahindra XUV500.