Passenger vehicle sales show resilience in May despite fuel price shock

The passenger vehicle market in India witnessed a strong demand in May 2026, despite multiple fuel price shocks. Last month, petrol and diesel prices, as well as the cost of CNG, witnessed multiple hikes across the country. However, despite the price shocks, carmakers recorded a healthy growth story, led by the major brands like Maruti Suzuki, Kia, Hyundai, Tata Motors, and Mahindra.

These carmakers registered record sales, carrying forward the momentum that was witnessed at the start of the FY27. Sales of CNG-powered models and electric vehicles helped offset the concerns around fuel prices. During the last month, the industry registered around 4.4 lakh units in the PV segment.

Maruti Suzuki and Kia clock highest-ever monthly sales

Maruti Suzuki India reported its highest-ever monthly sales in May 2026, with domestic sales of 193,535 units, compared to 138,690 units sold in the year-ago month. The company that is known for its strong hold in the mini and compact segment, witnessed its mini segment sales, comprising the Alto K10 and S-Presso, rose to 16,275 units last month from 6,776 units recorded in May 2025. Sales in the compact segment, with models including Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift and WagonR, rose to 81,555 units last month against 61,960 units in May 2025.

Maruti Suzuki's total passenger vehicle sales in May stood at 190,337 units as against 135,962 units in the same month last year. Interestingly, this sales performance came ahead of the up to ₹30,000 price hike that was announced to be effective from June 2026, applicable for the entire PV lineup.

Indian passenger vehicle sales: Top 5 brands in May 2026
May 2026	Brand	Rank	Brand	May 2025
190,337 units	Maruti Suzuki	1	Maruti Suzuki	135,962 units
59,090 units	Tata Motors	2	Mahindra	52,431 units
58,021 units	Mahindra	3	Hyundai	43,861 units
47,837 units	Hyundai	4	Tata Motors	41,557 units
30,574 units	Toyota	5	Toyota	29,280 units

Speaking about the sales performance, Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Partho Banerjee, told PTI that despite the fuel price hikes affecting demand, the company was able to put up a strong performance with holistic growth. "Fuel prices going up really affects small car sentiments, specifically the customers who are buying small cars, but we achieved fantastic growth in 'mini' and compact segments with an overall 42% rise in passenger cars," he said, while also adding that if the fuel prices keep going up, it will surely have an impact on the auto industry. Banerjee also stated that in May, bookings for its all-electric SUV e-Vitara have doubled to more than 4,000 units after the petrol price hikes, while CNG car bookings have also gone up by 1.4 times.

Kia too claimed that May 2026 witnessed the band's highest-ever sales in India, since its market entry. The South Korean auto giant that sells models like Seltos, Syros, Sonet, etc., registered 27,586 units last month, clocking a 23.6% YoY growth from 22,315 units sold in the same month last year. Speaking on the brand's sales performance, Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Kia India, said that the company's highest-ever May sales performance reflects the strong alignment of the brand's product portfolio with evolving customer preferences across segments.

Tata, Hyundai, Mahindra, and Toyota also post strong sales performance

Other major brands like Tata Motors, Hyundai, Mahindra, and Toyota, too, registered positive sales performance last month. Tata Motors, the brand that holds the lion's share in the Indian electric passenger vehicle market with a wide range of models, recorded 59,090 units last month in domestic sales, up from 41,557 units sold in the same month a year ago, marking a 42% YoY growth.

Another homegrown auto major, Mahindra & Mahindra, sold 58,021 units of passenger vehicles in India, clocking an 11% YoY growth. The automaker was the third top-selling PV brand last month, after Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors.

Hyundai, positioned at the fourth spot in the chart, registered a 9.1% YoY sales growth in its domestic numbers. The automaker sold 47,837 units in May 2026, as compared to 43,861 units sold in the corresponding month of 2025. Speaking on the brand's sales performance, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL), MD and CEO Tarun Garg said that the company has continued its strong momentum of the year into May as well.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor's domestic sales stood at 30,574 units last month, against 29,280 units recorded in the same month a year ago. The Japanese automaker registered a 4% YoY growth.

Other carmakers maintain momentum

Among other key players in the country, JSW MG Motor India reported sales of 6,048 units in May 2026. The company's sales in India have been driven by popular models like Hector, Windsor, etc.

Renault India registered sales of 4,113 units in May 2026, marking a 64% YoY growth from May 2025's 2,502 units. This marked the French carmaker's ninth-consecutive month of wholesale volume growth, maintaining an upward commercial trajectory that began in September 2025. The sales in May were driven by the surge in demand for the Renault Duster.

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), which just launched the updated Honda City, reported a 31% YoY growth in total sales for May 2026, delivering 7,853 units across domestic and international markets.

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