March 2026 turned out to be a strong finish to the financial year for India’s passenger vehicle market. Despite the current geopolitical scenario, including an ongoing oil crisis linked to the conflict in Iran, most carmakers posted healthy year-on-year growth, with several brands even setting records of their own. As per the VAHAN registrations for the month of March, the passsenger vehicle sales hit 4.31 lakh units, which translates to a 22.8 percent year-on-year increase and a 9.4 percent increase as compared to February. Here is how every major brand stacked up.
1 – Maruti Suzuki (1,69,428 units)
Maruti Suzuki, as expected, stayed on top. The brand recorded domestic sales of 1,69,428 units in March 2026, which is a 10.27 percent growth over the same month last year. When you include exports and OEM sales, the total figure for March reaches 2,25,251 units — a number that underlines just how vast Maruti’s operation is compared to everyone else. The brand commands a market share of around 40 percent, which means roughly two out of every five cars sold in India in March had a Maruti badge on it.
For the full financial year 2025-26, Maruti crossed 24.2 lakh units in total sales — the highest in the company’s history and the third consecutive year it has crossed the 2 million mark. Domestic sales for the year stood at 18.6 lakh units, also a record, and exports crossed 4.47 lakh units, which is a 34 percent jump over the previous year. The compact segment — Baleno, Swift, Dzire, WagonR, Celerio contributed 71,789 units in March alone, while the SUV lineup, which now includes the Brezza, Grand Vitara, Fronx, Victoris, and the newly launched e-Vitara EV, added another 71,356 units.
2 – Tata Motors (66,192 units)
Tata Motors finished second in March with domestic passenger vehicle sales of 66,192 units, up 28 percent year-on-year from 51,616 units in March 2025. Including its international business, total sales came to 66,971 units, which is a 29 percent jump. The electric vehicle contribution continues to grow — Tata sold 9,494 EVs in March across domestic and export markets, which is a 77 percent increase over the 5,353 units it sold in the same month last year. The top three brands — Maruti, Tata, and Mahindra — now collectively account for nearly 70 percent of the total market, which is a remarkable level of concentration at the top.
3 – Mahindra (60,000 units)
Mahindra came in third, selling over 60,000 SUVs in March 2026. The brand has cemented itself as a pure-play SUV company in India, and that positioning is clearly working. Models like the Scorpio, XUV700, and the rest of the Mahindra SUV lineup are consistently drawing buyers, and the brand posted 23 percent year-on-year growth for the month. Month-on-month, it was up 9 percent over February. Mahindra’s rise over the past couple of years has been one of the more interesting stories in the Indian market, a brand that was once seen as a niche off-road player is now firmly in the top three, successfully pushing Hyundai for the fourth spot month in and month out.
4 – Hyundai (55.064 units)
Hyundai held fourth position with domestic sales of 55,064 units in March, which is a 6.3 percent increase year-on-year from 51,820 units in March 2025. When you add exports, total monthly sales came to 69,004 units — Hyundai’s highest-ever domestic tally for the month of March. For the full fourth quarter of FY26, Hyundai reported 2,08,275 units across domestic and export markets, an 8.7 percent increase year-on-year. The brand’s Q4 domestic tally of 1,66,578 units is the best quarterly domestic performance in its history in India. Hyundai MD and CEO Tarun Garg said the brand is expecting further momentum from upcoming products, specifically calling out updates to the Verna and Exter.
5 – Kia (29,112 units)
Kia India had a genuinely outstanding March. The brand sold 29,112 units in the domestic market, which is its best-ever performance for the month of March since it entered India. That is a 14.5 percent year-on-year improvement over the 25,525 units sold in March 2025. On a quarterly basis, Kia closed out the January-March 2026 period with 84,316 units — again the best quarter in the brand’s India history, and an 11.6 percent improvement over the same period last year. The new-generation Seltos has been a big driver of this momentum, consistently selling over 10,000 units every month since launch. The Sonet and Carens Clavis are also contributing meaningfully to the overall numbers.
6 – Toyota (35,125 units)
Toyota finished sixth in March with domestic sales of 35,125 units, growing 23.8 percent year-on-year from 28,373 units in March 2025. Total sales including exports came to 37,194 units. For the full financial year FY26, Toyota crossed 4 lakh units in domestic sales, registering 20 percent year-on-year growth — a strong showing from a brand that was largely playing in the premium mass market. The Innova Hycross, Urban Cruiser Hyryder, and Fortuner remain the backbone of Toyota’s volumes. Importantly, Toyota has also revealed its first electric vehicle for India, the Urban Cruiser EBella, and pricing is expected to be announced shortly.
7 – Skoda (7,906)
Skoda had a notable March as well. Domestic sales came in at 7,906 units, a 6.8 percent year-on-year increase that also edged past its previous monthly best. More significantly, Skoda’s January-March quarter was the best in the brand’s India history — 20,028 units in the first quarter of 2026, a 17 percent improvement over the 17,138 units sold in the same period last year. The Kylaq has been the standout product, recently crossing 50,000 cumulative sales. The Kushaq, Slavia, and Kodiaq are also doing their part. Skoda has indicated a target of 12 percent growth in FY27, with a new Kushaq already out and more products expected.
8 – MG Motors (6,528)
JSW MG Motor recorded domestic sales of 6,528 units in March 2026, up 19 percent year-on-year. The Windsor EV continues to be the brand’s strongest product. MG also recently unveiled the Majestor diesel SUV, with pricing expected in April and deliveries beginning in May. The company also announced a price increase of up to 2 percent across most of its portfolio from April 1, 2026, with higher-end models like the Cyberster and M9 seeing steeper hikes of up to 7 percent.
9 – Honda (5,507)
Honda sold 5,507 units in March, a 7 percent year-on-year improvement. The City, Amaze, and Elevate continue to be the brand’s core lineup in India. Honda has also confirmed it is working on its first electric vehicle for the Indian market — the Honda 0 Alpha — which is currently undergoing pan-India testing.
10 – Renault (5,047)
Renault had its best month in a long time, recording domestic sales of 5,046 units in March 2026, which is a 77 percent jump year-on-year over the 2,846 units it sold in March 2025. The new Kiger and Triber together accounted for 63 percent of the brand’s overall sales for the month. For the full financial year FY26, Renault sold 42,018 units, compared to 37,900 units in FY25 — an 11 percent improvement. The brand is clearly benefiting from the freshness of the updated Kiger and Triber, and the recently launched Duster should add another layer of momentum going into FY27.
Taken together, March 2026 was a strong close to what turned out to be a record financial year for the Indian passenger vehicle industry. The top three — Maruti, Tata, and Mahindra — are pulling away from the pack. Kia and Toyota are growing faster than the market average. Renault and Nissan are showing signs of revival. And the broader market is clearly in good shape, with nearly every brand ending the year on a positive note. The SUV continues to be the format driving the most growth, and brands that have invested heavily in that space are seeing the returns.
