Total domestic sales in the country's auto sector across categories, including passenger and commercial vehicles, dropped 13.08 per cent to 1,405,776 vehicles.

Among passenger vehicles, sales of utility vehicles, however, jumped 30.02 per cent. A total of 85,252 utility vehicles were sold in December 2019, as against 65,567 units in December 2018. But the sales of vans plunged 53.36 per cent to 8,408 vehicles.

Sales of commercial vehicles, which include medium and heavy commercial vehicles, dropped 31.7 per cent year-on-year to 21,388 units.

Sales of light commercial vehicles rose 1.26 per cent to 45,234 units.

Two-wheeler sales dropped 16.6 per cent to 1,050,038 units.

Overall production in the domestic market decreased 5.2 per cent year-on-year to 1,816,112 units. That included passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and two- and three-wheelers.

The sale of passenger vehicles declined by 16.40 per cent in April-December 2019 in comparison to April-December period of 2018.

The passenger car sales declined by 23.59 per cent in April-December period of 2019 compared with April-December period of 2018.

"From April 1 after implementation BS-VI norms cost of cars will increase and and that will lead to decline in demand. We want that government should lower Goods and Services Tax (GST) so that auto sales do not get affected," SIAM President Rajan Wadhera, said on expectations from Budget 2020.