Changes in the Indian auto sector: Toyota drops out of the top five sales leaders

There is a growth in electric vehicle sales in the Indian market. In September 2026, the passenger car segment recorded sales of 35,256 units. Tata Motors maintains its leading position in this segment, while Mahindra secured second place. Sales in this segment increased compared to the previous year, showing a 62% year-on-year growth.

When compared to last year, when all companies sold 21,757 electric vehicles in September, the figure reached 35,256 units in September 2026. This means that 13,499 more units were sold this year than last year.

According to the Auto Pandit report, the best-selling car in this segment is the Tata Punch EV from Tata Motors. For September, sales of this affordable and most compact electric SUV from Tata amounted to 4,702 units, demonstrating a sales increase of 284% compared to the same period last year.

In September last year, Tata Motors delivered 1,223 Punch EVs. The share of this Tata compact SUV in the total volume of electric vehicle sales was 13.3%. Additionally, sales of the Tata Motors Nexon EV reached 3,926 units, making it the third best-selling car in the segment.

The price of the Tata Punch EV starts from 9.79 lakh rupees including tax. However, the car can also be purchased under the BaaS (Battery as a Service) program, where the car's cost is reduced to 6.59 lakh rupees including tax. In this case, the buyer will have to pay for battery charging at a rate of 2.6 rupees per kilometer.

Punch EV is available with two battery options: 30kWh and 40kWh. The motor with the smaller battery provides 65kW of power, while the motor with the larger battery has a power of 95kW.

Tata Punch EV offers a claimed range of 468 kilometers. The time to charge the car from 20% to 80% is only 26 minutes. The car is equipped with a 360-degree view camera, front ventilated and leather seats, and a 10.25-inch infotainment system.

There is a growing demand for CNG-powered vehicles in the Indian market. In September, these vehicles accounted for 23.11 percent of total sales, making them the second most popular fuel after petrol in the passenger car segment. According to reports, 105,410 units were put into operation in September.

This figure demonstrates significant growth compared to last year: in September of last year, 83,357 CNG-powered cars were sold, which corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 26.5 percent.

Maruti Suzuki dominates this segment, selling the highest number of CNG vehicles. Hyundai is also actively increasing its market presence. Tata Motors ranks second in terms of CNG vehicle sales volume.

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga CNG has become a bestseller in the CNG category due to its seven-seater variant. Besides it, the list of best-selling models includes the Dzire, Punch, Hyundai Aura, and Maruti Suzuki Vitto.

According to Auto पंडित्ज, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga CNG topped sales, realizing 12,481 units in the CNG version. Maruti Suzuki Dzire took second place, selling 12,026 units, although its sales in September decreased by 4 percent compared to September of last year.

Third place in the list was held by the Maruti Suzuki WagonR, which sold 8,596 units in the CNG version. Tata Punch entered the top five, selling 8,473 units. Hyundai Aura is in fifth place, having sold 7,278 units in CNG.

Vitto showed the highest growth rate among CNG vehicles. Maruti Suzuki sold 7,216 units of this model in CNG, whereas only 1,449 units were sold in September of last year. Maruti Suzuki Brezza is also listed, having sold 7,214 units in CNG.

Tata Nexon became the eighth best-selling CNG car, selling 7,149 units in September. Maruti Suzuki Fronx sold 6,034 units in the CNG version, and Maruti Eco, despite being a van, made it into the top ten sellers, realizing 5,823 units in September.

Overall, Maruti Suzuki sold 69,780 CNG cars in September. Tata Motors ranked second with 20,171 CNG cars, Hyundai sold 11,908 units, and Toyota sold 3,551 CNG cars. It should be noted that this analysis only concerns factory CNG versions of cars, although other companies also offer such models.

The fiscal year 2027 proved to be very successful for Tata Motors in the second quarter, as the company achieved record sales figures. In this quarter, domestic sales of Tata Motors reached 196,674 units. This significantly exceeds last year's figure of 140,189 units in the same quarter, demonstrating a 40% year-on-year growth in the company's sales.

On the global market, the company exported 5,049 units. Compared to the previous fiscal year, when exports amounted to 4,208 units, total vehicle sales reached 201,723 units. Last year, the company sold only 144,397 units during this period.

Considering the entire fiscal year 2027, Tata Motors sold 376,840 vehicles in the first half of the year. Whereas in the first half of the previous fiscal year, 264,028 units were sold, which represents an increase of 42.7% year-on-year. Thus, the company sold 112,812 more units.

A significant share of sales comes from the second quarter, where 201,723 units were sold. Tata's portfolio includes many electric vehicles; in the second quarter of fiscal year 2027, 47,150 electric vehicles were sold, compared to 24,855 electric vehicles in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026.

In the last quarter, the share of electric vehicles in Tata Motors' total sales volume was 23%, and the share of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) models was 28%. Combining these two categories, 51% of Tata Motors' vehicles were sold in electric or CNG variants.

September proved to be a particularly successful month for Tata Motors, when the company sold a total of 70,210 passenger cars in domestic and global markets. Last year, 60,907 units were sold during the same period. In September 2026, Tata Motors sold 68,810 units domestically and exported 1,400 units.

Among Tata Motors' products, the Tata Punch and Nexon are the most popular cars. In September, Tata Motors sold 15,384 electric vehicles.