Tesla sales in India increased by 322% due to pricing policy

September proved to be a very successful month for the electric passenger vehicle segment in India. Over 35 thousand electric vehicles were sold in the local market during this month. In September 2026, sales of fully electric passenger cars reached 35,048 units, representing a growth of 95.4% compared to last year.

In September of last year, total sales across all companies amounted to 17,932 units, with a monthly increase of 10.3%. In August, sales in this segment stood at 31,769 units. Only three leading brands sold 27,816 cars during this period.

Tata Motors is the leader in the electric vehicle market. The company sold 14,792 cars in September, which is 100.7% more than in September of last year when it sold 7,369 vehicles. The monthly growth was 7%. In August, Tata Motors sold 13,825 electric vehicles. Tata Motors' market share in this segment is 42.2%.

Mahindra is in second place, having sold 7,782 cars. Tata Motors' portfolio currently holds the largest number of electric vehicles. Mahindra's annual growth reached 95.9%; last September, the company sold 3,973 cars. Mahindra's monthly sales increased by 14% compared to August, when it sold 6,827 electric vehicles. The company's market share reached 22.2%. Recently, Mahindra's homegrown vehicles surpassed the 100,000 sales mark.

GSW-MG ranked third, selling 5,242 cars in September. In September 2025, the company sold 4,803 cars, corresponding to an annual growth of 9.1%. VinFast took fourth place, selling 2,964 cars this September, whereas last September the company sold only 6 cars.

Due to a significant change in the situation, Kia Motors secured fifth place, selling 1,263 electric vehicles in September 2026. The brand's sales grew by 111.2% compared to September 2025, when 598 cars were sold. Maruti Suzuki now ranks sixth, having sold 1,104 electric vehicles in September.

Additionally, BYD sold 836 electric vehicles in September, Hyundai sold 792 units, Toyota sold 218 units, and Citroen sold 55 electric vehicles. Data from these premium segment brands was not included in the count.

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has started mass production of the updated Slavia Facelift model. The production of this premium sedan takes place at the Chakkan plant located in Pune. The company plans to introduce this vehicle before the start of the festive season, and the launch date has already been announced.

Tata recently released the compact sedan Eris, and now Skoda is presenting its updated model. The Skoda Slavia Facelift is scheduled for release in the Indian market on October 6, 2026. The company has also opened pre-orders, allowing buyers to place a reservation for 15 thousand rupees.

Skoda has already unveiled the Slavia Facelift, which will feature a sharper design compared to the current model. With new headlights and taillights, the car looks more premium. Furthermore, the company has redesigned the bumpers and equipped the car with 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

The taillights will be equipped with sequential turn indicators. As part of the update, new paint color options will also be offered. The interior design of the car will undergo minimal changes, but the infotainment system will increase from 10 inches to 10.1 inches. The driver's dashboard will also be updated: an 8-inch display will be replaced by a 10.25-inch digital driver display.

In terms of features, the car includes a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, front passenger seats with heating and ventilation, rear seats with massage function, and support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, Skoda has improved the performance of the air conditioning system, which was a frequent consumer complaint.

The Slavia Facelift will be available with a 1.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine, which provides 115 hp and 178 Nm of torque. A 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, producing 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque, is also available. For the 1.0-liter engine, a 6-speed manual transmission or an 8-speed automatic is available, while the 1.5-liter engine exclusively offers a 7-speed DCT. It should be noted that the starting price of the current Slavia is 9.99 lakh rupees, and the price up to the showroom reaches 18.29 lakh rupees, while the cost of the new Slavia may be slightly higher.

The Toyota Fortuner is in high demand among buyers, which is attributed to the lack of worthy competitors in the market. Despite the overall decline in Toyota's car sales, demand for this model remains high.

In August 2026, Toyota's total sales dropped by 3%, with the company delivering 28,410 vehicles. However, Fortuner sales showed the opposite trend: despite the overall decrease in company sales, the volume of Fortuner deliveries increased. In August 2026, 3,504 units of Fortuner were delivered, representing a growth of 39.7% compared to the same period last year.

Furthermore, compared to July, sales of this SUV grew by 9.9% in August. As for other Toyota models, Hyryder sales decreased by 9.5%, reaching 8,234 units. Sales of Innova and Hycross also fell by 4%, totaling 8,963 units in August. The most significant drop was recorded for the Glanza, whose sales fell by 71%; only 1,480 units were sold in August, compared to 5,102 units in August of last year.

The Toyota Fortuner is not a budget option; the current model price is 34.76 lakh rupees, including export duties for the gasoline version. The car is equipped with a 2.8-liter diesel engine and offers manual or automatic transmission options, as well as rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The Fortuner belongs to the 'body-on-frame' SUV class, and it is preferred by buyers who require a diesel engine, a three-row cabin, 4x4 equipment, and a large SUV simultaneously. Buyers value the Fortuner not only for having all necessary features but also for the reliability of the Toyota brand.

Recently, the Kia Sorento entered this segment, available at a starting price of 27.99 lakh rupees. This model offers a 2.2-liter diesel engine with 193 hp and a turbocharged gasoline engine with a hybrid system, as well as all-wheel drive capability for both powerplants. The Kia Sorento is available in 6 and 7-passenger configurations.