2026 May Car Sales As Per VAHAN

Numbersare sourced from VAHAN. Company-reported numbers often include units dispatched to dealers that are sitting unsold in stockyards. 

May numbers are lower across most brands, which happens every year around this time. The post-Akshaya Tritiya lull, school admissions, and the start of monsoon season all pull buyers away from showrooms. Registrations typically recover from September onwards as the festive season approaches.

Mass Market Car Makers

Maruti Suzuki registered 7,79,427 units between January and May, which is more than Hyundai, Mahindra, and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles combined. January was Maruti's strongest month at 2,04,297 units, and May at 1,43,797 was their second highest of the year, which stands out because most other brands saw their May numbers fall compared to April. 

Hyundai registered 2,47,189 units in five months. Mahindra and Mahindra is at 2,68,430 units, with January being its strongest month. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles registered 2,63,968 units. Toyota Kirloskar and Kia are closely matched at 1,40,402 and 1,37,626 units respectively. Honda Cars India registered 26,551 units across five months, with May at 4,294 being the weakest month, down from 5,401 in April. Renault India is at 19,846 units, with April and May being their two most consistent months. Stellantis, which sells Jeep and Citroen in India, registered 4,109 units across five months.

Electric Vehicle Makers

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility is the clear leader in EV registrations, with 42,885 units between January and May. That works out to roughly 8,577 units a month on average. Mahindra Electric is second with 23,615 units, driven largely by the BE 6e and XEV 9e, both of which launched earlier this year and generated strong initial booking momentum. 

BYD has grown every single month from January through May, going from 235 units in January to 667 in May. That is a consistent upward trend, not a one-month spike. Tesla registered just 198 units across five months, averaging under 40 a month. With only the Model Y on sale and pricing well above Rs. 60 lakh, the volumes are always going to be limited.

Luxury Car Makers

BMW India leads luxury registrations with 8,253 units between January and May, averaging around 1,650 units a month. Mercedes-Benz India is close behind at 7,100 units. Both brands saw a dip in May, which is typical for this time of year even in the luxury segment. Jaguar Land Rover registered 2,399 units in five months, with May being their weakest month at 354 units, down from 507 in April. Audi's numbers under the Audi AG entity are very low at 113 units total, though Audi sales in India are also reported under the Skoda Auto Volkswagen India entity which covers the entire VW Group.

 Lamborghini registered 27 units across five months. Ferrari registered a combined 17 units across both its importer entities. At these volumes, monthly swings of even one or two units create large percentage changes that do not reflect any real trend.

Source: VAHAN