Car Sales September 2026: Maruti, Mahindra, Hyundai, Tata Brand-Wise, Who Grew Fastest

September 2026 was a record month on paper. Industry passenger vehicle wholesales rose 21.4% to 4,63,081 units. Maruti Suzuki sent 1,81,838 cars to Indian dealers, up 36.9%, Tata Motors was second at 68,810 (+15.3%), Mahindra third with 64,092 SUVs (+14%), Hyundai posted its highest-ever total of 77,916 units and Kia hit a record 32,017 (+41%). The catch: last September is an unusually soft base, because buyers held off until GST 2.0 rates kicked in on 22 September 2025. Here is the brand-wise picture as reported on 1 October 2026.

September 2026 car sales: brand-wise wholesale numbers

These are wholesale (factory dispatch) figures that carmakers announced on 1 October 2026. Brands report in different formats, so read the metric column carefully: some numbers are domestic passenger vehicles only, others include exports or commercial vehicles.

Maruti Suzuki: SUVs carry the month

Maruti's total of 2,36,013 units compares with 1,89,665 a year ago. Domestic passenger vehicles rose 36.9% to 1,81,838 and exports edged up to 44,219 from 42,204. The standout is utility vehicles, which jumped 62% to 78,911 units; the report credits the Brezza, Grand Vitara and Fronx for that growth. Supply to other carmakers (OEM sales) fell to 6,542 units from 11,750. If you just took delivery of one of those SUVs, a fitted GLORY waterproof cover for the Brezza is a sensible first buy before the winter dew and dust season.

For the first half of FY27 (April to September 2026), Maruti's cumulative sales stand at 13,79,378 units against 10,78,735 last year, a 27.9% jump.

Mahindra: steady SUV growth, exports dip

Mahindra sold 64,092 SUVs in India, up 14% from 56,233. Exports slipped 7% to 4,019 units. Total automotive sales, which include commercial vehicles, rose 15% to 1,14,874, below the 1,21,500 that Jefferies had expected, according to Business Standard. Mahindra also said it has crossed cumulative billing of 1 lakh Electric Origin SUVs. In the July to September quarter, its passenger vehicle volumes rose 26% to 1,83,397 units, and April to September SUV sales reached 3,58,142 units, up about 20%.

Hyundai: a record month, Bayon next

Hyundai's 77,916 units beat its previous record set in July 2026. Domestic sales grew 10.9% to 57,166 and exports 10.4% to 20,750. For July to September, Hyundai's domestic volume rose 25.6% to 1,65,772 units. The company has opened bookings for the Bayon, its next new nameplate, and expects strong festive interest.

Tata Motors: back to second, EVs up 67%

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles sold 70,210 units including exports, up 15.3% from 60,907. Domestic sales were 68,810, enough to edge Mahindra for second place on wholesale, and international business added 1,400. EVs were the bright spot at 15,384 units, up 67%. For July to September (Q2 FY27), Tata sold 2,01,723 vehicles, up 40%, with 47,150 EVs, up 90%.

Kia, Toyota and MG

Kia had its best month in India with 32,017 wholesales, up 41% from 22,700; the company says the Seltos and Sonet remain its volume drivers. Toyota Kirloskar was the one big brand to shrink: domestic sales fell 7.6% to 25,027 and total sales 9.2% to 28,218, with exports down 20%. JSW MG Motor dispatched 8,018 units, up 19%, helped by the new Hector Tomahawk EV and plug-in hybrid.

Still awaited: Honda, Skoda VW, Renault, Nissan and others

By the evening of 1 October 2026, we could not verify September numbers from Honda Cars, Skoda Auto Volkswagen, Renault, Nissan, VinFast, Citroen or BYD. Smaller brands often report later in the week. We will not guess these figures.

Retail registrations tell a slightly different story. According to an analysis of government Vahan data published on 1 October 2026, September car registrations rose about 32% to roughly 4.23 lakh units. Vahan counts vehicles registered to customers, not factory dispatches, so these numbers are not directly comparable with the table above.

On Vahan, Tata was neck and neck with Mahindra for second place and led electric car registrations with 14,729 units. Tata owners protecting a new Nexon outdoors can look at our Tata Nexon car cover, cut for the 2019 onwards body.

Who grew fastest in September 2026?

• Wholesale: Kia grew fastest among big brands at +41%, followed by Maruti Suzuki (+36.9% domestic) and MG (+19%). Toyota (-7.6%) was the only top brand to decline.
• Retail (Vahan): Kia (+45.4%) and Mahindra (+37.2%) posted the sharpest registration growth, with Maruti at +29.9%.
• Segment: SUVs led everywhere. Maruti's utility vehicles alone grew 62%.
• EVs: Electric car registrations nearly doubled to about 35,866 units, roughly 8.5% of the market, per the same Vahan analysis.

Festive season, GST and CAFE: the context behind the numbers

Two things flatter this September. First, in September 2025 many buyers waited for GST 2.0 rates that took effect on 22 September 2025, so the first three weeks of that month were weak, as Autocar Pro noted. Second, dealers stocked up ahead of Navratri and Dussehra. Mahindra said its tractor sales fell partly because the festive season shifts into October this year.

The market reaction was cautious. Business Standard reported that the Nifty Auto index slipped about 3% on 1 October, as some numbers came in below estimates and the new CAFE-3 fuel efficiency norms, effective 1 April 2027 and requiring a 16.7% efficiency improvement over five years, weighed on sentiment. Expect more hybrids, CNG and EVs in launch pipelines as carmakers prepare.

Model-wise September sales (which exact cars sold most) are usually released around 5 to 10 October. We will publish those separately once official numbers are out.

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Key takeaways

• Industry PV wholesales: 4,63,081 units, up 21.4%.
• Maruti Suzuki: 1,81,838 domestic PVs (+36.9%), 2,36,013 total (+24.4%), utility vehicles up 62%.
• Tata Motors: 68,810 domestic (+15.3%), EVs up 67% to 15,384; second on wholesale.
• Hyundai: record 77,916 units (+10.8%); domestic 57,166 (+10.9%).
• Mahindra: 64,092 domestic SUVs (+14%), total auto 1,14,874 (+15%), below analyst estimates.
• Kia hit a record 32,017 (+41%), MG rose 19% to 8,018, Toyota domestic fell 7.6% to 25,027.
• Growth is flattered by a GST 2.0 hit base in September 2025 and festive stocking.

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