September car sales hover near four lakh units as Maruti leads while Kia and Renault post growth

UPDATE - follow-up to September 2026 car sales: 4 out of of top 5 carmakers record MoM decline: India passenger vehicle wholesale volumes hovered near 4 lakh units in September 2026, with Maruti Suzuki holding the top spot while Kia and Renault stood out as the only two manufacturers to post month-on-month growth. Maruti sold 1,68,744 units, dropping 4.7 percent from August but rising over 27 percent year on year, alongside launching the Baleno facelift and CNG AMT variants for the Swift, Baleno and Dzire.

Top Competitors

Tata Motors took second place with 56,972 units, beating third-placed Mahindra by just 227 units as Mahindra registered 56,745 units. Tata faced a 12.7 percent month-on-month drop and launched the Aeris along with Sierra variants, while Mahindra saw a 4.2 percent monthly dip but gained slightly year on year, securing a five-star Bharat NCAP safety rating for the XUV 7XO.

Other Makers

Hyundai registered 49,998 units, down 8.1 percent from August, while teasing the Bayon and launching Lounge Editions. Kia sold 32,017 units for a 10.2 percent monthly gain and 41 percent yearly rise, introducing CNG options and the Sorento. Toyota recorded 27,652 units and plans an updated Glanza launch in October. JSW MG Motor posted 5,226 units after introducing Battery-as-a-Service, Renault grew 19.6 percent monthly to reach 3,399 units by launching the Triber Turbo, and Nissan logged 2,960 units alongside testing a new seven-seater SUV.

Context

Monthly auto wholesale numbers serve as a key health check for consumer demand and manufacturing output in the country. Shifts in these tallies often reflect broader economic conditions, seasonal buying patterns, and the impact of new vehicle launches on buyer preferences.