Picture Credit : @carandbike/X
Carmakers posted healthy growth in May, with Maruti Suzuki and Kia India registering record sales, carrying forward the momentum witnessed at the beginning of the new fiscal.
As reported by PTI, Maruti Suzuki India reported its highest-ever monthly sales, with domestic sales of 1,93,535 units in May 2026, compared to 1,38,690 units in the year-ago month.
Despite the fuel price hikes affecting demand, the company has been able to put up a strong performance with holistic growth, Maruti Suzuki India senior executive officer, marketing & sales, Partho Banerjee, told PTI.
“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 per cent rise in passenger cars,” he said.
Sales of mini cars, comprising the Alto and S-Presso, rose to 16,275 units last month from 6,776 units in May 2025.
Sales of compact cars, including Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift and WagonR, rose to 81,555 units last month against 61,960 units in May 2025.
The company’s total passenger car sales in May stood at 1,90,337 units as against 1,35,962 units in the same month last year, excluding utility vehicles.
The impressive show by Maruti Suzuki could be due to the impending price hike by up to Rs 30,000 announced by the automaker from June 2026.
Outlining the correlation between the fuel price hike and demand for cars, as it increases the total cost of ownership, Banerjee said, “If the fuel prices keep going up, it will surely have an impact on the auto industry.”
