Top Carmakers Face Month-on-Month Sales Dip as September Wholesale Volumes Hold Steady

UPDATE - follow-up to September 2026 car sales: 4 out of of top 5 carmakers record MoM decline: India's passenger vehicle wholesale numbers stayed flat at around 4 lakh units in September 2026, while four of the top five carmakers saw a drop in sales compared to August. Maruti Suzuki stayed at number one with 1,68,744 units, dropping 4.7 percent from August though climbing over 27 percent from the year before.

Sales Breakdown

Tata Motors and Mahindra finished close together with a gap of only 227 units, putting Tata in second place at 56,972 units and Mahindra right behind at 56,745 units. Hyundai sold 49,998 units, marking an 8.1 percent drop from August. Kia stood out as the only major brand to grow on both a monthly and yearly basis, selling 32,017 units for a 10.2 percent jump over August. Toyota recorded 27,652 units, while JSW MG Motor, Renault, and Nissan reported mixed numbers alongside new vehicle launches and battery leasing plans.

Context

Monthly passenger vehicle sales figures serve as a key health check for the broader domestic auto market and consumer demand in India. Automakers frequently time new vehicle variants and festive season launches to boost buyer interest during the second half of the fiscal year.