India car sales stay flat in September as Kia and Renault post growth

India's passenger vehicle wholesale volumes stayed nearly flat at around four lakh units in September 2026, with Maruti Suzuki keeping the top spot while Kia and Renault stood out as the only two makers to post month-on-month growth. A tight race saw Tata Motors beat third-place Mahindra by just 227 units to secure second place with 56,972 units sold.

Carmaker Breakdown

Maruti Suzuki led the market with 1,68,744 units, rising 27.1 percent compared to September 2025, though sales dipped 4.7 percent from August. The company launched the Baleno facelift and CNG AMT versions of the Swift, Baleno, and Dzire. Tata Motors sold 56,972 units, marking a 4.5 percent yearly drop and a 12.7 percent monthly drop, while launching the Aeris and the Sierra Dark and Sierra Legend series. Mahindra recorded 56,745 units, down 4.2 percent from August but up 0.9 percent yearly, and launched the updated Thar OG alongside new XUV 3XO variants. Hyundai posted 49,998 units, down 3 percent year-on-year, and teased the upcoming Bayon.

Growth and Other Brands

Kia registered 32,017 units, rising 10.2 percent from August and 41 percent year-on-year, making it the only brand to grow on both fronts. Kia launched the Carens CNG and Carens Clavis CNG models alongside the Sorento. Toyota reached 27,652 units, up 2.1 percent yearly, and readied the updated Glanza for an October 14 launch. JSW MG Motor saw sales fall 22.3 percent yearly to 5,226 units, while Renault grew 19.6 percent from August to reach 3,399 units with the launch of the Triber Turbo. Nissan recorded 2,960 domestic wholesale units, dropping 3.7 percent from August but climbing significantly from the previous year.

Context

Monthly auto wholesale numbers in India are closely tracked as a key indicator of consumer demand and economic health ahead of major festival shopping seasons. Manufacturers often time new car launches and special editions to capture this high-demand festive buying period.