Tata Motors sold over 200 thousand vehicles, Tata Punch became the best-selling SUV in India

According to Mahindra's reports, its position in the SUV market continues to strengthen. In September, while many competitors were analyzing their sales figures, Mahindra increased its SUV sales volume by over 14% year-on-year, selling more than 64,000 units. Furthermore, total vehicle sales grew by 15%, and electric vehicle sales surpassed the 100,000 unit mark.

According to company data, Mahindra sold 64,092 SUVs in the domestic market in September. This figure was 56,233 units in September of the previous year, demonstrating a 14% year-on-year growth in SUV sales. Including exports, Mahindra delivered a total of 114,874 vehicles in September 2026, which is 15% more than in the same month last year.

SUV growth rates were also high from April to September 2026. Over these six months, the company sold 358,142 SUVs in the domestic market, compared to 297,570 units in the same period last year, representing a 20% year-over-year increase in sales.

Mahindra's commercial division also showed good results in September. Sales of light commercial vehicles weighing less than 2 tons in the domestic market in September 2026 amounted to 4,044 units, compared to 3,386 units sold in September of the previous year, marking a 19% growth. For light commercial vehicles weighing between 2 and 3.5 tons, sales increased by 13%, reaching 26,376 units. In September 2025, sales in this category were 23,342 units.

Mahindra's three-wheeled vehicles also demonstrated significant progress. The company sold a total of 16,343 vehicles, including electric three-wheelers. This figure is 26% higher than the 13,017 units sold in September last year. For the period from April to September 2026, three-wheeler sales reached 82,058 units, an increase of 53% compared to the same six months last year.

Dr. Velusami R., President of Mahindra's automotive business, reported on the September sales results. He noted that the company's SUV sales grew by 14% year-on-year, and total vehicle sales increased by 15%. Dr. Velusami R. also emphasized that Mahindra has crossed the 100,000 unit threshold in original electric vehicle sales, which is a major achievement for the company.

Despite impressive domestic market results, Mahindra's exports slightly decreased in September. In September 2026, the company exported 4,019 units, which is 7% less than the 4,320 units exported in September 2025. However, looking at six-month data, the picture is different: from April to September 2026, Mahindra exported 30,031 units, compared to 20,303 units exported in the same period last year, indicating a 48% growth in exports over half a year.

Tata Motors is the leader in the EV segment, but Mahindra's growth rate poses a serious challenge to Tata. Mahindra overtook Tata in EV sales as early as August. The company is gradually expanding its lineup, currently offering four electric vehicles: the XUV 3XO EV priced from ₹13.89 to ₹14.96 lakhs, the BE 6 priced from ₹18.90 to ₹26.90 lakhs, the XEV 9e priced from ₹21.90 to ₹30.50 lakhs, and the XEV 9S priced from ₹19.95 to ₹29.45 lakhs (all prices are excluding taxes).

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has started mass production of the updated Slavia Facelift model. The production of this premium sedan takes place at the Chakkan plant located in Pune. The company plans to introduce this vehicle before the start of the festive season, and the launch date has already been announced.

Tata recently released the compact sedan Eris, and now Skoda is presenting its updated model. The Skoda Slavia Facelift is scheduled for release in the Indian market on October 6, 2026. The company has also opened pre-orders, allowing buyers to place a reservation for 15 thousand rupees.

Skoda has already unveiled the Slavia Facelift, which will feature a sharper design compared to the current model. With new headlights and taillights, the car looks more premium. Furthermore, the company has redesigned the bumpers and equipped the car with 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

The taillights will be equipped with sequential turn indicators. As part of the update, new paint color options will also be offered. The interior design of the car will undergo minimal changes, but the infotainment system will increase from 10 inches to 10.1 inches. The driver's dashboard will also be updated: an 8-inch display will be replaced by a 10.25-inch digital driver display.

In terms of features, the car includes a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, front passenger seats with heating and ventilation, rear seats with massage function, and support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, Skoda has improved the performance of the air conditioning system, which was a frequent consumer complaint.

The Slavia Facelift will be available with a 1.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine, which provides 115 hp and 178 Nm of torque. A 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, producing 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque, is also available. For the 1.0-liter engine, a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed automatic is available, while the 1.5-liter engine exclusively offers a 7-speed DCT. It should be noted that the starting price of the current Slavia is 9.99 lakh rupees, and the price up to the showroom reaches 18.29 lakh rupees, while the cost of the new Slavia may be slightly higher.

The Toyota Fortuner is in high demand among buyers, which is attributed to the lack of worthy competitors in the market. Despite the overall decline in Toyota's car sales, demand for this model remains high.

In August 2026, Toyota's total sales dropped by 3%, with the company delivering 28,410 vehicles. However, Fortuner sales showed the opposite trend: despite the overall decrease in company sales, the volume of Fortuner deliveries increased. In August 2026, 3,504 units of Fortuner were delivered, representing a growth of 39.7% compared to the same period last year.

Furthermore, compared to July, sales of this SUV grew by 9.9% in August. As for other Toyota models, Hyryder sales decreased by 9.5%, reaching 8,234 units. Sales of Innova and Hycross also fell by 4%, totaling 8,963 units in August. The most significant drop was recorded for the Glanza, whose sales fell by 71%; only 1,480 units were sold in August, compared to 5,102 units in August of last year.

The Toyota Fortuner is not a budget option; the current model price is 34.76 lakh rupees, including export duties for the gasoline version. The car is equipped with a 2.8-liter diesel engine and offers manual or automatic transmission options, as well as rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The Fortuner belongs to the 'body-on-frame' SUV class, and it is preferred by buyers who require a diesel engine, a three-row cabin, 4x4 equipment, and a large SUV simultaneously. Buyers value the Fortuner not only for having all necessary features but also for the reliability of the Toyota brand.

Recently, the Kia Sorento entered this segment, available at a starting price of 27.99 lakh rupees. This model offers a 2.2-liter diesel engine with 193 hp and a turbocharged gasoline engine with a hybrid system, as well as all-wheel drive capability for both powerplants. The Kia Sorento is available in 6 and 7-passenger configurations.