New Delhi, Jan. 14 -- Domestic wholesale of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers increased for the fifth consecutive month in December as vehicle manufacturers increased inventory at dealerships after better-than-expected retail sales during the festival season in October and November depleted stocks at warehouses and showrooms.

Dispatches of passenger vehicles increased by 13.5 % year-on-year (y-o-y) to 252,998 units, as demand for compact cars and entry sport utility vehicles continued to rise in the rural, semi-urban and some part of the urban markets, data released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) showed on Thursday.

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Automobile sales in India are counted as...