The Swift was introduced in the Indian market back in May 2005.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift has achieved a new sales milestone of 3 million units in India.

The Swift was introduced in the Indian market back in May 2005. Since then, it has been one of the most popular hatchbacks in the country. Sales crossed the 1 million unit mark in November 2013 and surpassed 2 million units in May 2018.

This year, Maruti Suzuki launched the fourth-generation Swift in India. The new model is available with a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder Z-Series petrol engine that produces 80 BHP and 112 Nm. The engine is paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT.

The new Swift is available in five variants: LXi, VXi, VXi (O), ZXi, and ZXi+, with prices starting at Rs 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Tata Punch became the second best-selling SUV in FY2024.

Tata Motors ended FY2024 on a high, with two of its models topping the sales chart. The Nexon was the best-selling SUV, followed by the Punch.

The Tata Nexon has been the highest-selling SUV for three consecutive years. It recently achieved the milestone of 7 lakh sales, 7 years after it was launched in the Indian market. Currently, the Nexon is available with petrol, diesel, and electric powertrains. A CNG version will join the line-up later this year.

The Tata Punch became the second best-selling SUV in FY2024. It topped the sales charts in March and April of 2024.

According to Tata Motors, the compact SUV segment has grown substantially in the past few years. Within this segment, the industry has witnessed a rise from 4% to 7% in the market share, and in the bigger SUV market, the market share has grown from 8% to 14%.

Passenger vehicle sales went down by 0.96% compared to the previous year.

According to the data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), vehicle retail sales grew by 2.61% in May 2024 compared to the same month last year.

Overall sales for the month of May 2024 stood at 20,89,603 units, compared to 20,36,528 units in May 2023.

Tractor sales dropped by 1.06%, from 70,813 units in May 2023 to 70,065 units last month.

Two-wheeler sales went up by 2.48% to 15,34,856 units from 14,97,778 units in May 2023.

Three-wheeler sales were up by 20.09% in May 2024. 98,265 units were sold, compared to 81,825 units in May 2023.

Passenger vehicle sales went down by 0.96% compared to the previous year. 3,03,358 units were sold last month, compared to 3,06,305 units in May 2023.

Commercial vehicle sales increased by 4.07%. 83,059 units were sold in May 2024, compared to 79,807 units in the previous year.

According to FADA, despite better supply, some pending bookings and discount schemes, the lack of new models, intense competition and poor marketing efforts by OEMs affected sales. Due to the extreme heat, the number of walk-ins to showrooms dropped by around 18%.

Team-BHP's detailed analysis of the May 2024 sales figures.

Nexon sales have crossed the 7 lakh unit milestone since its launch in 2017.

This year, Tata Motors is celebrating the 7th anniversary of the Nexon. The company has announced benefits of up to Rs 1 lakh to mark the occasion.

Customers who have booked a Tata Nexon and are awaiting delivery and those bookings afresh or wanting to upgrade their existing Nexon to the updated version can avail of this offer. The benefits vary depending on the variant. 

Meanwhile, the overall sales of the Nexon have crossed the 7 lakh unit milestone since its launch in 2017. According to the figures shared by the company, the first 1 lakh cars were sold in 25 months following the launch and by April 2023, over 5 lakh Nexons were on Indian roads.

In 2018, the Tata Nexon became the first Indian car to receive a 5-star GNCAP rating. The new-gen Nexon received its 5-star GNCAP rating in February this year. The Nexon.ev also received a 5-star rating from Bharat NCAP this month.

Cumulative sales of the Fronx are expected to have crossed the 1.5 lakh unit mark.

The Maruti Suzuki Fronx was the highest-selling Nexa model in April 2024. The carmaker sold 14,286 units of the Baleno-based crossover.

In FY2024, Maruti Suzuki sold 1,34,735 units of the Fronx. Add to that the 14,286 cars sold in April 2024, and the total reaches 1,49,021 units, just short of the 1.5 lakh unit mark.

Cumulative sales of the Fronx are expected to have crossed the milestone figure of 1.5 lakh units, 14 months after the car was launched in the Indian market.

The Fronx competes with the Hyundai Exter, Venue, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon and Punch. It is available with two engine options - a 1.2-litre petrol and 1.0-litre turbo-petrol; and three transmission options – 5-speed manual, 5-speed AMT and 6-speed automatic.

Source: Autocar India

Interestingly, CNG models outsold the brand’s EVs.

Tata Motors registered a massive growth in its CNG vehicle sales in FY2024. The carmaker sold 91,000 units, up from around 41,000 units in the previous fiscal, a 120% growth.

Interestingly, CNG models outsold the brand’s EVs. Tata’s electric vehicle sales increased by 48% from 50,000 units in the previous fiscal to around 74,000 units in FY2024. The best-selling electric model of FY2024 was the Tiago.ev.

According to the company, CNG and EV models accounted for about 29% of the total sales of over 5.73 lakh units in FY2024. The cumulative share of CNG and EV models increased by 17% compared to the previous fiscal. The share of EVs grew from 9% to 13%, while that of CNG models doubled from 8% to 16%. The share of petrol and diesel models dropped to 71% in FY2024.

Tata Motors currently offers a wide range of CNG and pure-electric vehicles. Models like the Tiago, Tigor, Altroz and Punch are available with Tata’s twin CNG cylinder technology. The brand’s EV portfolio has also been expanding and includes the Tiago.ev, Tigor.ev, Punch.ev and Nexon.ev.

Source: Car and Bike

The Baleno hatchback has been Nexa’s bestseller with 14.5 lakh units sold.

Maruti Suzuki’s Nexa retail channel has achieved a new milestone with cumulative sales surpassing the 25 lakh unit mark.

According to the data shared by the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM), cumulative Nexa vehicle dispatches reached 25.8 lakh units at the end of March 2024. In May, this number is estimated to increase to 26.7 lakh units.

Maruti Suzuki launched the premium sales channel in 2015. The S-Cross was the first model sold under this initiative. The 25 lakh unit milestone was achieved in 8 years and 6 months.

Today, Maruti sells 8 models through its Nexa retail channel. These include the Baleno, Ignis, Ciaz, Grand Vitara, Fronx, Jimny, XL6 and Invicto. The Baleno hatchback has been Nexa’s bestseller with 14.5 lakh units sold. It accounts for 56% of all Nexa sales till the end of FY2024. The Ignis ranked second with an 11% share, followed by the Ciaz with a 7% share.

As per the data, Nexa cars accounted for 5.26% of Maruti’s total sales in FY2016, which rose to 19.92% in FY2018. In FY2023, the share of Nexa models increased to 23%. In FY2024, Nexa sales crossed the 5 lakh mark for the first time, a 52% jump YoY and accounting for 32% of Maruti’s wholesales of 17.5 lakh units.

Source: Autocar India

Volvo currently offers two pure-electric models in India – the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge.

Volvo has achieved a new sales milestone in India. The carmaker has sold over 1,000 electric vehicles in the country.

Volvo currently offers two pure-electric models in India – the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. Both electric SUVs are assembled locally.

The XC40 Recharge is priced from Rs 54.95 lakh (ex-showroom). It is available in single-motor and dual-motor configurations. The rear-wheel drive version packs 238 BHP and 420 Nm, while the AWD version has a combined output of 402 BHP and 660 Nm.

The C40 Recharge is a coupe-style SUV which is priced at Rs 62.95 lakh (ex-showroom). It comes in a dual-motor configuration producing 402 BHP and 660 Nm.

Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, said, "On the occasion of World Environment Day, we are happy to announce that Volvo Car India has delivered over 1000 EV cars. This achievement is another milestone on our journey towards becoming an all-electric company by 2030. Our robust progress is a reflection of the strong customer confidence our cars command as well as our commitment to grow the luxury EV market in India."

57% of the customers opted for the petrol version, with diesel versions making up 43% of the total sales.

Kia has sold over 1.5 lakh units of the Carens since its launch in February 2022.

According to Kia, the top and mid trims account for 50% of the total sales. These variants come with features such as a sunroof, multi-drive modes, ventilated seats and Kia Connect.

As per the sales data, 57% of the customers opted for the petrol version, with diesel versions making up 43% of the total sales. The manual transmission variants were the preferred choice with 62% of the customers opting for it. The recently launched 6-seater variant of the Carens has also received a good response.

Kia also ships the made-in-India Carens to overseas markets, with close to 17,000 units being exported. It also accounted for over 15% of the company's total domestic wholesale.

BMW also continues to sell diesel models in India. However, Audi and Volvo have shifted their focus to petrol models and EVs.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed that more than half of its cars sold in India are diesel models. This indicates that the demand for diesel cars remains strong in the premium segment. 

Lance Bennett, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India said, “It (diesel) represents roundabout 54 percent of our sales, 6 percent is EVs and the balance is petrol. So it’s still skewed towards diesel but we’re happy to offer each of those powertrains to our customers. We’re seeing that some markets are a bit more receptive towards petrol models due to emission norms.”

Mercedes-Benz India sold 5,412 units in the first quarter of 2024. The carmaker continues to offer diesel engine options in its sedans and SUVs. When it comes to popular models like the E-Class and GLC, sales of diesel variants remain high. 

Besides Mercedes, BMW also continues to sell diesel models in India. However, Audi and Volvo have shifted their focus to petrol models and EVs.

Source: Car and Bike