India car sales hover near four lakh units in September as Tata beats Mahindra by slim margin

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 mostly flat at close to four lakh units in September 2026. Maruti Suzuki stayed the biggest carmaker in the country, selling 1,68,744 units. That was up 27.05 percent from a year ago, though it dropped from August. Tata Motors grabbed second place after a tight race, beating Mahindra by just 227 units with total sales of 56,972 units. Mahindra followed closely with 56,745 units sold.

Growth Leaders

Kia and Renault stood out as the only two manufacturers to show month-on-month growth. Kia sold 32,017 units, marking a 10.2 percent jump from August and a 41 percent rise year-on-year. Renault reached 3,399 units, which was up 19.6 percent from the previous month despite being lower than the year before. Meanwhile, Hyundai registered 49,998 units, and Toyota clocked 27,652 units. JSW MG Motor recorded 5,226 units, and Nissan reported 2,960 units.

Context

Monthly wholesale figures help track how fast vehicle stock moves from factory floors to dealer lots across the country. These numbers often shift ahead of major holiday periods as carmakers prepare for festive buying trends. The small gap between top-selling brands highlights how closely contested the Indian automotive market remains.