Mumbai, June 1 (IANS): Leading SUV car maker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) on Wednesday said it has sold 40,656 units during May, up 11 per cent from 36,706 units sold in the corresponding month last year.

In May, sales of passenger vehicles which include SUVs, cars and vans grew 8 per cent at 19,635 as against 18,135 units sold in May 2015.

Its domestic sales stood at 36,316 units in the last month, up 10 per cent from 33,369 units sold in the year-ago month.

The company sold 501 units of medium and heavy commercial vehicles in the month under review.

Exports for May stood at 4,043 units -- a growth of 21 per cent.

"The favourable monsoon projections will definitely lead to improved buyer sentiment that will likely bring buoyancy in overall demand across all segments of the automotive industry. Going forward, we expect our wider product portfolio will drive our growth," said the company's President and Chief Executive (Automotive) Pravin Shah.