From a budget family hatchback to a large mighty 7-seater SUV, the Indian car market has a car for every need. In a country as large as India, this market is full of opportunities as well as challenges and several car brands compete for the biggest piece of the pie. Last month, with nearly 3.58 lakh cars sold, the industry saw a 1.1 percent decline from the sale of September last year and a 1.3 percent growth over the sales of August 2024. Here’s what the complete best-selling car brands chart looks like for September 2024.
Top Selling Car Brands in India | ||||
Manufacturer | September Sales- 2024 | September Sales- 2023 | Y-O-Y Growth | Market Share |
Maruti Suzuki | 1,44,962 | 1,50,812 | -3.90% | 40.40% |
Hyundai | 51,101 | 54,241 | -5.80% | 14.20% |
Mahindra & Mahindra | 51,062 | 41,267 | 23.70% | 14.20% |
Tata Motors | 41,065 | 44,810 | -8.40% | 11.40% |
Toyota Kirloskar | 23,802 | 22,168 | 7.40% | 6.60% |
Kia | 23,523 | 20,022 | 17.50% | 6.60% |
Honda | 5,675 | 9,861 | -42.50% | 1.60% |
MG Motor | 4,588 | 5,003 | -8.30% | 1.30% |
Volkswagen | 3,394 | 3,568 | -4.90% | 0.90% |
Skoda | 3,568 | 4,032 | -18.10% | 0.90% |
Maruti Suzuki: 1,44,962 units
With the largest car line-up, widest dealer network, and exceptional reliability of cars, the Maruti Suzuki has been ruling the roost for over 40 years. Along with reliability, the superb mileage of Maruti cars agrees well with most Indians and the Indo-Japanese carmaker has some of the most fuel-efficient cars in its inventory. Every month, Maruti sells more units than the combined sales of the next three carmakers, grabbing the biggest piece of the pie and so was the case last month. Despite the 3.9 percent drop in year-on-year sales, the carmaker stood firm as the number one carmaker and sold 1,44,962 units. Furthermore, as always, most spots on the list of top 10 selling cars were taken by Maruti cars.
Hyundai: 51,101 units
The longest-running and most successful foreign car brand in India, Hyundai has long been the second-largest carmaker in India. Stylish looks, refined and reliable engines, and upmarket features at relatively affordable prices have been a formidable success formula for the Korean carmaker. What adds another layer of attraction is the competitive prices that Hyundai manages for its cars, drawing thousands of buyers to its dealerships every month. Last month, Hyundai sold 51,101 cars, and with a meagre 5.8 percent drop in year-on-year sales, the Korean auto giant maintained its dominance as the second-largest car brand in India and the Hyundai Creta became the best-selling SUV.
Mahindra: 51,062 units
Mahindra overtaking Tata Motors in September 2024 has been the most interesting turn of events on this list. It’s not as surprising though, because, in current times, the demand for SUVs is burgeoning and Mahindra, esteemed for making capable SUVs, stands out as the largest SUV manufacturer. Today, Mahindra has 10 SUVs in its portfolio and no car of any other body type. Two of these cars, the Mahindra Scorpio and Mahindra Bolero have earned legendary status in India and always remain in high demand. This time around, Mahindra clocked sales of 51,062 units, registering a 23.7 percent growth, the highest growth among all carmakers. Moreover, with such sales, Mahindra has crossed the milestone of 50,000 units for the first time.
With that being said, it’s worth noting that Mahindra sales are expected to grow even higher soon as the Indian carmaker is witnessing a tremendous demand for the recently launched Mahindra Thar Roxx. When the bookings for the Mahindra Thar Roxx commenced on 3rd October, it received 1,76,218 bookings within the first hour!
Tata Motors: 41,065 units
Not only in India but across the world, Tata Motors is one of those brands that are held in high esteem. What puts Tata in the eminent position, is the structural strength of its cars that elevates their safety. Tata is the only car brand in India with all its cars tested by the Global NCAP. While the Tigor and Tiago have scored a 4-star G-NCAP rating which is substantially respectable, the rest all have scored a 5-star G-NCAP rating. Along with unmatchable safety, the stylish appearance and comfort level of Tata cars make the Indian carmaker always remain among the leaders of the industry. In September 2024, it did so with sales of 41,065 units, though there was an 8.4 percent in its sales as compared to Tata’s sales in July 2023.
Tata has recently launched two coupe SUVs: Tata Curvv and Tata Curvv EV. Both these cars will certainly make Tata’s fleet stronger and are expected to attract great business in the coming months.
Also read: Top-selling Tata Cars
Toyota Kirloskar: 23,802 units
In India, the popular Japanese carmaker, Toyota has been around for nearly 24 years and has garnered a reputation for making perennially durable cars. In September 2024, Toyota maintained its fifth spot on this list with sales of 23,802 units, gaining a 7 percent year-on-year uptick. As usual, the sales were led by the Innova MUV which sold 8,058 units. Toyota sells two MUVs under the Innova badge; one is the hugely successful Innova Crysta and the other is an even more premium version, Innova Hycross that was launched in December 2022 and has turned out to be a ground-breaking success.
Kia: 23,523 units
Hyundai’s subsidiary, Kia is a relatively new carmaker in India and yet it competes neck-to-neck with the long-established Toyota for the fifth spot. Kia is known for equipping its cars with as many upmarket features as possible and refined engines. Every month, Kia puts up a respectable number on the sales chart and the previous month was no different. Selling 23,523 units in September 23,523, Kia saw a 17.5 percent growth in its year-on-year sales and is the last brand with a five-digit sales figure. As the Sonet emerged as the best-selling Kia car with sales of 10,335 units, it was followed by the Seltos contributing 6,959 units, the Carens contributing 6,217 units, and the EV6 contributing 12 units.
Kia has recently launched the new-generation Kia Carnival and the Kia EV9, which is priced at Rs 1.3 Cr, is the most expensive Kiar car, and is now the flagship of the Korean carmaker.
Honda: 5,675 units
One of the veteran foreign carmakers in India, Honda currently has a handful of cars in its portfolio. However, this is a fact about quantity, not quality. As always, Honda cars are some of the best cars in the Indian market. While the Honda Elevate SUV and the iconic Honda City sedan are great options as premium family cars, the Honda Amaze is more of a capable budget family sedan. In September 2024, Amaze led Honda’s sales, contributing 2,820 units, followed by Elevate contributing 1,960 units, and City contributing 895 units. In total, Honda sold 5,675 units with a 42 percent decline in its year-on-year sales.
MG Motor: 4,588 units
As a relatively new foreign brand in India, MG Motors is gradually garnering consumer affinity. The main strength of MG cars lies in a higher level of comfort and technology as compared to its rivals. This makes them rise above the competition when it comes to attracting buyers who fancy new-age features and the best levels of comfort. In the fierce competition of the Indian car market, MG rivals some highly reputed and far-longer-running carmakers such as Honda and Volkswagen. Last month, MG managed to outsell many of its immediate rivals, with sales of 4,588 units which is an 8.3 percent decline in its year-on-year sales. Currently, MG has 7 cars in its stable: MG Astor, MG Hector, MG Hector Plus, MG Gloster, MG ZS EV, MG Winsor EV, and the MG Comet EV.
MG has recently launched the MG Windsor EV, which is a class apart from its rivals Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV400 EV.
Volkswagen: 3,394 units
The prestigious Volkswagen Group has long been operating in India and built a reputation for its unmatchable quality. Whether it is the toughness of the bodies, cabin comfort, or the reliability of engines, Volkswagen cars shine differently than others due to the globally acclaimed standards of the German carmakers. With only three cars on offer, Volkswagen collected sales of 3,394 units in September 2024, seeing a 4.9 percent decline in its year-on-year sales. The sales were led by the Virtus contributing 1,697 units, followed by the Taigun selling 1,611 units and Tiguan selling 86 units. Moreover, while Virtus and Kushaq scored a 5-star G-NCAP safety rating, the Tiguan has secured a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety test.
Skoda: 3,568 units
Coming from an auto conglomerate that houses luxury brands like Porsche and Audi at the higher end, Skoda cars have a premium air about them. Whether it is the toughness of the structures, cabin comfort, or the reliability of engines, Skoda cars bring unparalleled quality. Today, among the three Skoda offerings that are on sale in India, the Kushaq and Slavia have been conferred a 5-star safety rating by the Global NCAP and Kodiaq has scored a 5-star safety rating in the Euro NCAP test. The sales of 3,568 units in September 2024, might not seem a great business, but with only three cars on sale, the Czech automaker has comfortably managed to bag a spot among the best-selling car brands.
