Tata Motors has reported a 3% decline in total sales in July 2008 at 40,729 units compared to 42,098 units during the same month last year. The total passenger car sales stood at 14,652 units in the domestic market in July, a decline of 13.9% over July 2007.

Tata Motor’s bread and butter, the Indica has been the worst hit with the sales declining by a massive 32% YOY for the same month. The soon-to-be launched and promising looking Indica V3 will change things.

The Indigo family recorded a total sales of 4,487 units, an amazing 73% over July last year, riding mainly on the sales of the Indigo CS which has received very good response from the market. Tata’s master stroke with the world’s first sub four meter saloon has really worked.

Tata Sumo and Safari have accounted for sales of 2,640 units, a decline of over 20.6 percent  compared to July 2007. The company said sales of bigger vehicles were impacted by the sudden and unexpected increase in excise duties in the latter half of June 2008.

The commercial vehicles segment saw an 8% growth. The domestic market sales stood at 22,381 units compared to 20,705 units during the same month last year.

LCV sales grew by over 19% at 12,284 units while the M&HCV sales stood at 10,097 units, down by 3% compared to July last year.

Cumulative sales of passenger vehicles in the domestic market for the the first four months of this fiscal were 65,746 units, down 4.5 percent over the same period last year.

Cumulative sales for commercial vehicles in the domestic market for the first four months of the fiscal were 93,861 units, a growth of 14% over the same period last year.