- Mahindra SUVs like Scorpio N and XUV700 and helped the carmaker report 24 per cent growth in sales last month.
India’s largest SUV manufacturer Mahindra is now officially India’s third largest carmaker. In September, the auto giant overtook Tata Motors to emerge as the number three manufacturer with a jump of nearly 24 per cent in sales. Mahindra currently offers only SUVs in its passenger vehicle lineup. Scorpio-N, XUV700, XUV 3XO and Thar are some of the most popular models from the brand. On October 3, Mahindra will add the new Thar Roxx to its portfolio which is also expected to help spike sales numbers for the carmaker in October.
Mahindra now stands behind Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, on the list of top carmakers in India. Besides beating Tata Motors, Mahindra has also closed the gap with Hyundai Motor, India’s second largest carmaker, last month. In September, Mahindra sold 51,062 SUVs in India. It is slightly less than 51,101 units sold by the Korean auto giant which saw its sales drop by around five per cent year-on-year.
Mahindra is among very few carmakers who have recorded growth in sales in September. The previous top three carmakers – Maruti, Hyundai and Tata – have reduced dealer dispatches amid slowdown and pending inventories. Besides Mahindra, carmakers like Kia and Toyota also registered growth during the same month.
Also Read : Unsold cars, dampened sales force Maruti to restrict dealer dispatches ahead of big festive month
Can Thar Roxx help Mahindra beat Hyundai in October?
Mahindra will officially open the bookings for the Thar Roxx SUV on October 3. The five-door version of its iconic off-roader Thar is expected to garner massive interest among buyers with advanced features. The carmaker has introduced a new interior theme for the SUV two days before the bookings begin. Mahindra expects Thar Roxx to add around 4,000 more units to its average monthly sales. This could help the carmaker to further close sales gap with Hyundai, or even overtake, in coming days.
Top 5 carmakers in India locked in tight race
As of September, Maruti continues to lead the passenger four-wheeler segment with nearly 1.45 lakh cars sold, followed by Hyundai and Mahindra in second and third spots. After recent sales dip, Tata Motors has slipped to number four on the list. The carmaker, which leads the electric passenger vehicle segment in India, could sell only 41,063 units as it recorded a drop of about eight per cent in sales.
The race for the fifth spot on list of top carmakers in India has also intensified with Kia closing in on Toyota Motor. In September, Kia’s sales grew by 17 per cent with 23,523 units sold, barely 279 units less than Toyota which also saw its sales grow by more than seven per cent.
Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.
First Published Date: 02 Oct 2024, 11:26 AM IST