Car sales in India exceeded 500 thousand units in October 2026

Maruti Suzuki has once again demonstrated its dominance in the Indian automotive market. The company set a new sales record, achieving its highest figure in history in October 2026. Capitalizing on growing consumer demand during the festive season, Maruti Suzuki sold 276,120 vehicles in one month.

It is particularly noteworthy that the company's domestic sales exceeded the 200,000 unit mark for the first time, reaching 216,789 units. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in exports.

October proved to be a special month for Maruti Suzuki. In October 2025, the company sold 220,894 vehicles, while this figure increased to 276,120 units this year. This represents a growth of 25 percent compared to the same period last year. The sales volume, approaching half a million units, clearly demonstrates the high level of consumer trust in Maruti Suzuki.

Regarding the domestic market, Maruti Suzuki also set a new record in October. During this month, the company sold 216,789 vehicles, including light commercial vehicles. In October of last year, domestic sales amounted to 180,675 vehicles, indicating a 20 percent year-on-year growth in domestic sales.

Previously, the highest domestic sales figure was recorded in July 2026, when 200,123 units were sold. The October figure exceeded this previous maximum by approximately 8 percent. Meanwhile, the company sold 185,252 units in September and 180,078 units in August, pointing to continuous month-on-month growth in demand and vehicle sales for Maruti.

The main driver of Maruti Suzuki's sales growth in October was the utility vehicle, or SUV, segment. In this category, the company sold 97,787 vehicles, which is 26 percent more than in October of last year. In September 2026, 78,911 units were sold in this segment, indicating an SUV sales growth of approximately 24 percent in just one month.

Models such as Maruti Brezza, Ertiga, Francs, Victoris, and Grand Vitara belong to this segment. It is worth noting that between July and September, utility vehicle sales remained relatively stable: 78,851 units were sold in July, and 78,911 units in September. Therefore, the acceleration in sales in October is significant for the company.

Despite the focus on SUVs, the popularity of Maruti's small and hatchback cars remains strong. Sales in the mini, compact, and mid-size segments grew. In October, the company sold 100,877 units in these segments, which is 18 percent more than last year. There was also an increase of about 10 percent compared to September, when 91,887 units were sold. Eeco van sales were 13,720 units, remaining roughly at the same level.

Maruti Suzuki's sales statistics show that consumers are increasingly opting for SUVs. Domestic passenger vehicle sales reached approximately 212,384 units, with the SUV segment accounting for about 46 percent of this, highlighting the high appeal of Maruti's utility vehicles.

In addition to the domestic market, demand for Maruti Suzuki vehicles is growing in foreign markets. In October 2026, the company exported 49,872 vehicles, compared to 31,304 units in October 2025. Thus, exports showed an impressive annual growth of 59 percent.

The fiscal year 2026-27 was also marked by brilliant results for Maruti Suzuki from April to October. Over these seven months, the company sold a total of 1,655,498 vehicles. Compared to the same seven-month period last year, when 1,299,629 units were sold, the total sales volume grew by 27 percent. During this period, total sales, including deliveries to other companies domestically, amounted to 1,372,771 units, compared to 1,060,866 units the previous year. Exports also increased by 18 percent, reaching 282,727 units.

The first six months of the 2027 fiscal year proved to be highly successful for the Indian passenger car market. The total sales volume of the top 10 models exceeded 1.101 million units. In the same period last year, 8.66 million units of these ten cars were sold, which represents an increase of 2.34 million units over six months, or a year-on-year growth of 27.13%.

SUVs dominate the top 10 list, accounting for five positions. The remaining positions are held by three hatchbacks, one MPV, and one sedan.

Six models in the top 10 belong to Maruti Suzuki. The best-selling model was the Maruti Suzuki Dzire sedan, which surpassed all other body types. For the first six months of the current fiscal year, 125,988 Dzire units were sold. Last year, the company sold 108,006 such vehicles, demonstrating a year-on-year sales growth of 16.65%. The Maruti Suzuki Dzire is available with a starting price of 6.30 lakh rupees for the petrol and CNG internal combustion engine versions.

Additionally, the Tata Punch secured the second spot in sales, reaching a volume of 123,287 units in the first half of 2027. Maruti Suzuki WagonR is in third place, having sold 116,029 units during this period. The list also includes the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, the only MPV, which sold 112,557 units in six months. The second Tata Nexon model is also featured in the list, selling 111,919 units in the first half of the fiscal year.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx holds the sixth position with sales of 110,135 units. Maruti Suzuki Swift sold 109,332 units, and Maruti Suzuki Baleno sold 108,569 units in the first six months. Mahindra Scorpio (Classic + N) is in ninth place, selling 93,488 units in the first half of 2027. Hyundai Creta took tenth place, selling 89,727 units. It should be noted that last year Creta sales were 99,345 units, which is the only decrease in sales across the entire list.

According to data provided by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), retail car sales during the period from Navratri to Dussehra may slightly decrease this year. The most noticeable decline was recorded in the passenger car segment.

In the first nine days of the festive season, sales of passenger cars fell by 14% compared to last year. This drop is attributed to the high demand caused by changes in GST last year, which created a high baseline for comparison.

Nevertheless, overall vehicle sales showed a growth of 2% during the first nine days of Navratri, according to FADA data.