Khyati Sharma 2026-09-05
India's passenger vehicle market maintained strong momentum in August 2026, with most major carmakers recording substantial year-on-year growth. Maruti Suzuki continued to lead the market, while Tata Motors strengthened its position in second place and Mahindra remained third.
Hyundai held the fourth position, while Kia moved ahead of Toyota to take fifth place. Toyota rounded off the top six carmakers for the month.
The figures indicate strong demand across the passenger vehicle segment, with SUVs and utility vehicles continuing to play an important role in overall sales growth.
| Rank | Carmaker | Aug 2026 Sales | Jul 2026 Sales | MoM Change | Aug 2025 Sales | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maruti Suzuki | 1,76,971 | 1,96,203 | -9.8% | 1,31,278 | +34.8% |
| 2 | Tata Motors | 65,253 | 62,611 | +4.2% | 43,315 | +59.0% |
| 3 | Mahindra | 59,257 | 60,048 | -1.3% | 39,399 | +50.0% |
| 4 | Hyundai | 54,396 | 54,210 | +0.3% | 43,966 | +23.6% |
| 5 | Kia | 29,042 | 28,200 | +3.0% | 19,608 | +48.1% |
| 6 | Toyota | 28,410 | 30,516 | -7.0% | 29,302 | -3.0% |
Sales figures represent domestic passenger-vehicle wholesale dispatches.
Maruti Suzuki retained the number-one position in August 2026 with 1,76,971 domestic passenger vehicle sales. Sales increased by 34.8% year-on-year compared with August 2025.
The company's utility vehicle portfolio remained a major contributor, with models such as the Brezza, Ertiga, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Invicto, Jimny, XL6, e Vitara and Victoris supporting volumes. The compact and mid-size range, including the Baleno, Swift, Dzire and WagonR, also contributed strongly.
Despite the annual growth, Maruti's August volume was lower than July's figure, resulting in a 9.8% month-on-month decline.
Tata Motors finished second with 65,253 units in August 2026. Its sales increased by around 59% year-on-year, making it one of the fastest-growing manufacturers among the top six.
Tata also recorded strong electric vehicle volumes during the month, with EV sales reaching 16,549 units, nearly double the 8,540 units recorded in August 2025.
On a month-on-month basis, Tata registered a 4.2% increase, moving ahead further from Mahindra in the second position.
Mahindra recorded 59,257 units in August 2026, maintaining its third position in the Indian passenger vehicle market.
The company registered approximately 50% year-on-year growth, compared with 39,399 units in August 2025. However, sales declined marginally by around 1.3% compared with July 2026.
Mahindra's strong SUV-focused portfolio continues to support its sales performance, with demand for its utility vehicles remaining an important growth driver.
Hyundai Motor India occupied the fourth position with 54,396 units in August 2026.
The company recorded 23.6% year-on-year growth, while its sales were almost flat compared with July. Hyundai's August domestic sales were also its highest-ever August performance, according to the company.
The automaker continues to rely heavily on its SUV portfolio, while its electric vehicle range is also becoming increasingly important as India's EV market expands.
Kia took the fifth position in August 2026 with 29,042 units, moving ahead of Toyota.
Kia's sales increased by 48.1% year-on-year, compared with 19,608 units in August 2025. The company also recorded a 3% improvement over July sales.
The Seltos and Sonet remained important volume contributors, while Kia's expanding product portfolio helped the brand strengthen its position in India's competitive SUV and passenger vehicle market.
Toyota recorded 28,410 units in August 2026, placing sixth among the top carmakers.
Unlike the other five manufacturers in the list, Toyota posted a 3% year-on-year decline from the 29,302 units recorded in August 2025. Sales also fell 7% compared with July 2026.
The Innova Hycross, Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Glanza continued to be among the key models supporting Toyota's sales performance in India.
The August sales numbers highlight strong overall momentum in India's passenger vehicle market. Tata Motors recorded the highest year-on-year growth among the top six at 59%, followed by Mahindra at 50% and Kia at 48.1%.
Maruti Suzuki remained far ahead of the competition in absolute sales volume, selling more than 1.76 lakh passenger vehicles during the month.
The biggest change in the ranking came at the fifth position, where Kia moved ahead of Toyota. Meanwhile, Tata Motors continued to increase its lead over Mahindra for the second spot.
Overall, the August 2026 performance suggests that SUV demand, new product launches, electric vehicles and improving consumer sentiment are continuing to support India's passenger vehicle market.
Mahindra
₹12.99 - 26.69 Lakh
Tata
₹9.49 - 12.73 Lakh