Passenger vehicle sales in India continued at a strong pace in January 2026, with total sales of the top 25 best-selling cars at 3,46,844 units, a YoY growth of 18.11% as compared to 2,93,666 units sold in January 2025. The month saw a healthy mix of continued demand for hatchbacks, compact SUVs and MPVs in the mass market, along with several new and refreshed models.
Top 25 Cars January 2026
Tata Nexon (including EV) emerged as the best selling car in January 2026 with 23,365 units, registering a strong growth of 51.75% YoY. Highlighting the continued demand for compact sedans, Maruti Dezire stood second with 19,629 units, up 27.6% year-on-year. Tata Punch (including EV) took the third position with 19,257 units, registering a growth of 18.64% thanks to the launch of the recent facelift version.
Hyundai Creta (including EV) stood at 17,921 units, witnessing a marginal decline of 3.24% year-on-year, though it remained in the top five sellers. Maruti Ertiga continued its strong performance with 17,892 units, a growth of 25.58% YoY due to demand for MPV from both private and fleet buyers. Swift posted a marginal growth of 4.24% to 17,806 units, while Brezza registered a growth of 18.57% to 17,486 units, underscoring Maruti’s continued dominance in the high-volume segments.
The Baleno saw a significant decline of 15.94% year-on-year to 16,782 units, while the Wagon R declined by a massive 37.21% to 15,118 units, indicating a gradual shift away from the traditional tallboy hatchback. SUVs, on the other hand, continued to perform better. The Scorpio/Scorpio N posted 15,542 units, while the Thar/Thar ROXX registered 13,418 units, delivering a massive growth of 77.56% due to strong lifestyle SUV demand. Bolero also registered a solid growth of 36.39% with 11,841 units.
| No | top 25 cars | January-26 | January-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tata Nexon/EV | 23,365 | 15,397 |
| 2 | Maruti Dezire | 19,629 | 15,383 |
| 3 | Tata Punch/EV | 19,257 | 16,231 |
| 4 | Hyundai Creta/EV | 17,921 | 18,522 |
| 5 | Maruti Ertiga | 17,892 | 14,248 |
| 6 | Maruti Swift | 17,806 | 17,081 |
| 7 | Maruti Brezza | 17,486 | 14,747 |
| 8 | Maruti Baleno | 16,782 | 19,965 |
| 9 | Mahindra Scorpio/N | 15,542 | 15,442 |
| 10 | Maruti Victoris | 15,240 | 0 |
| 11 | Maruti Wagon R | 15,118 | 24,078 |
| 12 | Mahindra Thar / ROXX | 13,418 | 7,557 |
| 13 | Maruti Franks | 13,353 | 15,192 |
| 14 | Hyundai Venue | 12,413 | 11,106 |
| 15 | Maruti Alto | 12,314 | 11,352 |
| 16 | Maruti Eeco | 11,914 | 11,250 |
| 17 | mahindra bolero | 11,841 | 8,682 |
| 18 | kia sonet | 10,998 | 7,194 |
| 19 | kia seltos | 10,639 | 6,470 |
| 20 | Mahindra XUV 7X0/700 | 10,133 | 8399 |
| 21 | Toyota Innova + Highcross | 9,455 | 9,780 |
| 22 | toyota hayrider | 9,156 | 4,941 |
| 23 | Mahindra XUV 3X0 | 8,845 | 8,454 |
| 24 | Tata Tiago | 8,349 | 6,807 |
| 25 | Hyundai Aura | 7,978 | 5,388 |
| – | Total | 3,46,844 | 2,93,666 |
Maruti Victoris continued its strong performance with sales of 15,240 units in January 2026. Sonet sales grew 52.88% year-on-year to 10,998 units, while Seltos grew 64.44% to 10,639 units, highlighting the strong customer response to the new generation and updates. Toyota Hayrider delivered the highest growth rate at 9,156 units with a growth of 85.31% YoY, while the newly launched Mahindra XUV7XO grew by 20.65% to 10,133 units. Models like Alto, Eeco, Tiago and Aura continued to provide volume stability, while the Innova + Hycross remained steady at 9,455 units despite a marginal decline.
OEM Wise Breakup
The OEM-wise breakup of the top 25 best-selling cars in January 2026 highlights a clear change in momentum across brands, even as the market leadership remains unchanged. Maruti Suzuki continued to dominate volumes with over 1.57 lakh units, accounting for the largest share in the top 25, supported by its wide portfolio of hatchbacks, sedans, MPVs and compact SUVs. However, its year-on-year growth of 9.94% was relatively modest compared to rivals, indicating steady but mature demand.
In contrast, Tata Motors emerged as one of the strongest performers, registering a strong growth of 32.62%, mainly driven by sustained demand for Nexon, Punch and Tiago, underscoring Tata’s strong position in ICE and EV offerings. Interestingly, the new Sierra was not included in the list of Top 25 Cars of January 2026.
Mahindra recorded a healthy growth of 23.17% YoY, with Scorpio-N, Thar ROXX and Bolero maintaining the volume lead, while new models like XUV 3X0 and XUV 7XO/700 contributed to incremental gains. Kia emerged as the fastest growing OEM in the top 25 list, registering a sharp growth of 58.35%, driven by strong traction for the Sonet and Seltos. Toyota also recorded solid momentum with 26.42% YoY growth due to sustained demand for Innova HighCross and Urban Cruiser Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Hyundai’s growth slowed at 9.41% year-on-year as gains from Creta, Venue and Aura were partially offset by the soft performance of some older models. Overall, the top 25 segments grew 18.11% year-on-year, reflecting strong consumer preference for SUVs and well-established nameplates, while brands with new portfolios and clear value propositions outperformed the broader market.
