KARACHI - The auto sales have declined by a massive 50 per cent during seven months of current fiscal year (2008-09), prompting major auto manufacturers to reduce their productions. According to the latest PAMA release, auto sales in last 7-month were down by 47 percent on a year-on-year basis to 60.6 thousand units, retrenching the car segment's sale by 52 percent YoY to 48.9 thousand units. Dewan Farooq Motors Ltd's (DFML) Santro recorded the greatest decline in sales of 91 percent YoY to only 129 units, while HCAR's Civic and Indus Motor Company's Corolla recorded the least YoY fall of 11 percent and 34 percent respectively to 475 units and 12.2 thousand units. Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) & Pickup segment sales were also down by 3 percent YoY to 11.7 thousand units. Pak-Suzuki Motor Company's (PSMC) Ravi was the main sales driver for this segment, the sales of which climbed by 44 percent YoY to 9.3 thousand units. Meanwhile, a recent research says that car sales in January 2009 rose by 95 percent on month-on-month basis to 7.6 thousand units. A high car sale (+157 percent MoM) was the sale driver for the industry in January 2009. Sales increase was observed in all categories of vehicles. In 1,300cc and above category, Honda Civic recorded the highest MoM sale increase of 352 percent to 475 units, while in the 1,000cc and 800cc and below categories, PSMC's Alto and Mehran recorded the highest 633 percent and 418 percent MoM increase to 733 units and 1,078 units respectively. Toyota Corolla sale was also encouraging, mounting by 148 percent MoM to 3,103 units. Possible factors contributing to the increase in MoM auto sales may have been consumer preference to reschedule their December purchases to the new year owing to the psychological impact of buying the new year model car, which slightly enhances the resale value (avg. January car sales over the last 5-yrs have been 31 percent higher MoM) and decline in motor car CBU imports (-64 percent in 1HFY09). However, sales in the LCV & Pickup segment declined by 45 percent on a MoM basis to 659 units, dampened mostly by low sales of the segments heavyweight, Ravi (PSMC). Ravi sales receded by 59 percent MoM to 435 units, while still representing 66 percent of segment sales in January 2009. Though the MoM comparison does provide some encouragement, January 2009 auto sales were still down by a substantial 52 percent on a YoY basis. DFML's plant restarted production after two months, with 9 units and 37 units of Santro and Shehzore produced respectively in January 09.