Automakers in India ended 2012 on a dull note with some reporting a year on year drop in sales for December.

However, market leader Maruti Suzuki said on Thursday its December sales rose 3.2% to 95,145 units, including exports although the overseas shipments slipped 11% to 13,072 last month.

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Fiscal year (from 1 April) volume was up 7% to 827,725 overall with exports off 3.3% to 85,550.

The Hindu Business Line, meanwhile, reported that the country’s largest exporter and second largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) sold 47,833 units in December, down 2.5% (49,050 units in December 2011).

Tata Motors’ total sales (including exports) of commercial and passenger vehicles in December were 65,582 units, down 20% year on year.

General Motors India’s sales also fell to 7,067 vehicles from 9,039 in December 2011.

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“Despite offering various schemes on purchase of every car, the market continues to remain depressed on account of various negative factors including high interest rates and poor economic conditions,” vice president P Balendran told The Hindu.

Commercial vehicles manufacturer Eicher booked 20% lower sales at 4,032 units in December compared to 5,051 units in December 2011.

Some companies did see some growth. Among these were Mahindra & Mahindra, Honda and Ford.

M&M sales grew 6% to 45,297 units in December due to a new SUV line.

Honda Cars India sold 4,242 units during the month versus 1,072 units last December — mainly due to its new small Brio car model.

Ford India saw a 42.2% rise to 10,899 units.

Renault India booked 5,924 units in December, compared with just a few hundred the previous year.

Mercedes Benz, which announced only full-year data, sold 7,138 units in 2012, down 4%.

Skoda’s sales rose 13% to 34,678 units. Managing director Sudhir Rao said: “The Rapid steered our sales for this year and will continue to be one of our prime offerings in the year ahead.”