According to the latest figures released, the total car sales fell for the sixth month in a row in the month of April as customers faced increasing fuel prices and high cost of financing.

The numbers released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) showed that the car sales fell 10.43 per cent during the fairst month of the current financial year 2013-2014 compared to the same month of the previous year. The overall data also showed that overall passenger vehicles fell 8.21 per cent during the month. The industry body said that this might be the longest fall in car sales in the country.

SIAM deputy director general Sugato Sen said, "Weak consumer sentiment is affecting car sales. The Union Budget has not done anything to improve the sentiment. This is the sixth month that we are witnessing a fall in car sales. Car sales have been falling in India since November last year. We have never witnessed such a long consecutive decline since SIAM started analysing the data in 1997-98."

The utility vehicle segment recorded a growth of 3.99 per cent during the month of April as manufacturers said that an increase in excise duty on certain sports utility vehicles resulted in a fall in growth. The segment had grown 50 per cent during the previous year.