- This is the first time that Hyundai has dropped to number four among carmakers in India after holding the second spot after Maruti Suzuki for years.
Carmakers in India have kicked off 2024 on a very strong note clocking nearly four lakh sales. January has been particularly significant for carmakers like Tata Motors and Mahindra who have rejigged India’s largest carmaker list. While Maruti Suzuki continues to lead auto companies in terms of sales with a share of more than 40 per cent, Tata Motors became the second largest carmaker last month followed by Mahindra at third. Both these carmakers have overtaken Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor for the first time ever since it had stamped its place as India’s largest carmaker after Maruti.
Car sales in January saw Tata Motors clock overall sales of 84,276 units. In India, Tata sold more than 54,000 cars last month. This has been the best month in terms of sales for the carmaker. A bulk of its sales came from SUVs like Nexon and Punch, with both clocking more than 17,000 unit sales last month. Mahindra and Mahindra, riding high on the popularity of its SUVs like Scorpio-N and XUV700, also clocked its highest ever monthly sales in January. Mahindra’s sales jumped 15 per cent year-on-year thanks to its success in the utility vehicle segment where it registered more than 30 per cent growth.
Maruti Suzuki remains firmly placed as India’s largest carmaker clocking its highest ever monthly sales in January. Aided by its utility vehicles, including SUVs like Brezza, Fronx and Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki saw its sales increased by nearly 15 per cent as it sold nearly two lakh cars in a single month.
Hyundai Motor, which has been India’s second largest carmaker for years, saw its sales grow by more than eight per cent, yet falling short of its competitors in overall sales. It continues to benefit from the popularity of its flagship SUV Creta, which was recently launched with a major facelift. Venue has been the other best-seller from the Korean auto giant.
Also watch: Hyundai Creta facelift first drive review
The rejig of India’s largest carmakers come at a time when India-based auto companies like Tata Motors and Mahindra are on an offensive to scale up in terms of models on offer as well as production. Tata Motors already leads the electric vehicle segment by a wide margin against all its rivals. With more EVs in the pipeline, the carmaker looks to consolidate its lead and stamp its authority in the segment for years to come. Mahindra too, with several new-age SUVs like XUV700 and Thar, plans to dominate the SUV segment with its offerings. It also plans to intensify its presence in the EV segment with a slew of electric SUVs planned in the next few years.
First Published Date: 02 Feb 2024, 10:26 AM IST
