India’s passenger vehicle market witnessed strong momentum in May 2026, with both car and SUV segments registering good year-on-year growth. Maruti Suzuki continued to dominate the charts, while Tata Motors, Hyundai, Mahindra and Kia also took several positions among the best-selling models. Combined sales of top 10 cars There were 1,89,908 units sold in May 2026, which is 32.8% more than 1,43,000 units sold in May 2025. The top 15 SUVs performed even better, registering sales of 1,94,225 units, up 40.34% from 1,38,397 units sold during the same period last year.
Top 10 Cars May 2026 – Dezire Leading
Maruti Dezire emerged as India’s best-selling passenger vehicle with sales of 24,546 units in May 2026. The compact sedan registered a year-on-year growth of 35.73% at 18,084 units sold in May 2025 and accounted for about 13% of total sales among the top 10 cars. Maruti Suzuki Swift took the second position with 20,686 units, registering a strong growth of 52.28% YoY. Maruti Ertiga is at second place with 26.08% more at 20,350 units.
Tata Punch, including the EV variant, stood fourth with sales of 20,208 units, while combined sales of Tata Nexon and Nexon EV reached 19,100 units. Both Tata SUVs registered a growth of over 45% year-on-year. Maruti Baleno continued its strong performance with 18,396 units, registering a good growth of 58.34%. Wagon R stood second with 18,076 units, while Swift recorded sales of 17,519 units. Combined sales of Mahindra Scorpio and Scorpio N stood at 15,774 units, while Hyundai Creta and Creta EV remained in the top 10 list with 15,253 units.
Top 10 SUVs May 2026 – Frontex Topps
In the SUV segment, the Maruti Suzuki Swift emerged as the best-selling SUV in India with sales of 20,686 units during May 2026. The crossover registered a growth of 52.28% compared to the same month last year. Tata Punch took the second position with 20,208 units, followed by Tata Nexon with 19,100 units. The Punch and Nexon together made over 39,000 units, highlighting Tata Motors’ strong position in the SUV market.
Mahindra Scorpio remained at the fourth position with 15,774 units, while Hyundai Creta completed the top five with 15,253 units. One of the notable events in May 2026 was the decline in sales of Maruti Brezza. The SUV registered a YoY decline of 14.91% to 13,245 units, making it the only flagship SUV in the top ranks to register a significant decline. This is possibly due to the upcoming launch of the Brezza facelift.
Hyundai Venue emerged as one of the strongest gainers with sales up 55.77% to 11,714 units. Kia Seltos continued its strong performance with 10k+ sales in another month – registering a growth of 74.24% at 10,597 units. Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyderabad also maintained positive momentum with sales growing 14.41% to 8,664 units, while Maruti Grand Vitara grew 80.22% to 9,366 units. Maruti Victoris took the eighth position with 10,853 units, while Mahindra XUV 7XO registered 9,338 units. Mahindra Thar/Roc was a strong performer with 10,787 units, while Bolero continued to find buyers with 8,933 units despite year-on-year growth.
SUVs continue market growth
The data once again highlights India’s growing preference for SUVs. Total sales of the top 15 SUVs exceeded those of the top 10 passenger vehicles, despite only five additional models being added to the SUV list. Maruti Suzuki maintained its lead through the Forex, Brezza and Grand Vitara, while Tata Motors continued to benefit from strong demand for the Punch and Nexon. Hyundai, Mahindra, Kia and Toyota also maintained good momentum, making the SUV segment one of the key growth drivers of the Indian automotive market in 2026.
