Car Dispatches Dip From August in September; Maruti Up 27% on the Year, Kia Up 41%

NEW DELHI: India's passenger vehicle wholesale volumes, the cars that manufacturers dispatch to dealers, stayed at about 4 lakh units in September 2026, with four of the five biggest carmakers sending out fewer vehicles than in August, Autocar India reported on October 1.

Against September last year, the picture was more mixed: some makers grew sharply while others sold less. SteelOrbis described the month as a slowdown in year-on-year growth with a sharper decline from August.

Maruti stays far ahead

Maruti Suzuki, the market leader, dispatched 1,68,744 cars in September. That was 27.05 per cent more than the 1,32,820 it sent out in September 2025, but 4.65 per cent fewer than the 1,76,971 it dispatched in August.

Tata Motors took second place, but only just. It dispatched 56,972 cars, down 4.52 per cent from 59,667 a year earlier and 12.69 per cent from 65,253 in August. Mahindra was 227 units behind with 56,745, up 0.91 per cent on the year and down 4.24 per cent on the month.

Hyundai dispatched 49,998 cars, down 3.01 per cent from a year earlier and 8.09 per cent from August. Toyota sent out 27,652, up 2.08 per cent on the year but down 2.67 per cent on the month.

What the companies said

The companies' own statements use broader measures. Maruti Suzuki said it sold 2,36,013 vehicles in all in September: 1,85,252 in the domestic market, which includes its light commercial vehicles, 6,542 to other manufacturers and 44,219 for export.

Hyundai's figures differ from the compilation. Hyundai Motor India said its domestic sales were 57,166, up 10.9 per cent from a year earlier and about 5 per cent from August, and that its total, including 20,750 exports, was a record 77,916, Autocar Professional reported. Both sources put Hyundai's August domestic figure at 54,396, and Hyundai said its domestic sales for April to August were up 12.6 per cent. Hyundai said its exports had been held back in August by logistics problems linked to the West Asia conflict, and that bookings had opened for the Bayon, a new model it is launching before the festive season.

Kia the standout

Kia was the strongest performer among the larger makers. It dispatched 32,017 cars, up 41.04 per cent from 22,700 a year earlier and 10.24 per cent from August. Kia and Renault were the only two manufacturers whose dispatches rose from August, Autocar India reported.

Renault dispatched 3,399 cars, up 19.60 per cent on the month but down 20.30 per cent on the year. Nissan sent out 2,960, up 79.18 per cent from a year earlier but down 13.60 per cent from August. MG had the weakest month among the makers listed: its dispatches fell 30.39 per cent from August to 5,226, and were 22.32 per cent lower than a year earlier.

Reading the numbers

Dispatch figures measure what manufacturers send to their dealers, not what customers buy.

The year-on-year comparison is with September 2025, the month in which the Goods and Services Tax rate rationalisation took effect, on September 22, reducing the structure to two main slabs of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, with a 40 per cent rate for specified luxury and sin goods.

The festive season is now under way: Diwali falls on November 8, and the e-commerce festive sales begin this week. Retail registration figures for September will show how much of the stock customers actually bought.

The top nine

Taken together, the nine carmakers listed by Autocar India dispatched 4,03,713 cars in September, against 4,27,105 in August and 3,62,701 a year earlier, on Autocar India's figures. Maruti Suzuki alone accounted for about 42 per cent of that total, and the next three makers, Tata, Mahindra and Hyundai, for about 41 per cent together.