The Kawasaki Z900 has been India's highest-selling premium motorcycle in 2021, closely followed by the Ninja 650.

BHPian CrAzY dRiVeR recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The low volume market for Superbikes and Imports in the country doesn’t allow for a meaningful monthly analysis of their sales data. However, the same over a longer period of a full year makes for a healthy discussion - and with that goal in mind, below is the 2021 Annual report and analysis of the premium two-wheeler market in India.

3680 premium motorcycles were sold in the year 2021. The market, though still down, saw a 21% recovery compared to 2020, with all the brands enjoying higher sales, except for Harley Davidson.

Note

• All data has been compiled from the data presented by Auto Punditz.
• These manufacturer-reported sales numbers are factory dispatches to dealerships. They are NOT retail sales figures to end customers.
• Manufacturers like BMW Motorrad, Ducati, Benelli, etc are not included because the data is not available.
• 2018 report can be seen here.
• 2019 report can be seen here.
• 2020 report can be seen here.

India's favourite premium bikes by sales volume

• Kawasaki Z900 is India's highest-selling premium motorcycle in 2021 with 577 units dispatched.
• Followed closely by another Kawasaki - the Ninja 650 with 318 units.
• Triumph gets 3rd place with their successful, all-new entry-level sport naked - the Trident Sport 660, which dispatched 295 units.
• Another massive success for Triumph this year - the Tiger 900 takes fourth place with 214 units.
• Suzuki retains a top spot with their all-time favourite hyperbike - the 3rd generation Hayabusa dispatching 196 units.

Manufacturer Market Share and Trends

• Harley's loss! Others have nicely increased their numbers YOY.
• Kawasaki emerges as the dominant player in 2021 with a 46% market share, gaining 42% more sales as compared to the previous year.
• Triumph registered maximum sales growth for 2021 - with a 30% market share and falling just 20 units short of their all-time best figures of 2016.
• Honda had their best year yet - backed by strong sales of the 650 twins. Ends up with a 7% market share.
• Suzuki did a lacklustre job of bringing in their BS6 portfolio - but nevertheless brought in the one bike that matters in the Indian context. The results speak for themselves! Ends the year with a 7% market share.
• Piaggio has entered the charts with a dispatch of 5 units since September 2021. However, due to very less data available, they have been excluded from the comparison charts above. Details of the dispatches can be seen in the main excel sheet at the end.

Premium Motorcycle sales 2020 - Sorted by price

The below graph gives a clear picture of which products have really caught the fascination of the market, at various price points. (Simple assumption of price * units have been taken for representational purposes).

Note: The leftmost product is 6.16L ex-showroom, whereas the rightmost product is 39.16L ex-showroom.

• Kawasaki Z900 is once again in first place with sheer numbers, selling 577 units of an 8.42L motorcycle.
• Suzuki Hayabusa comes second, selling 196 units of a motorcycle that retails at 16.42 lakhs.
• Triumph Tiger 900 range starts at 13.7 lakhs, much higher than last year's Tiger 800. However, with 214 units dispatched - the new generation comes in at 3rd place.
• Kawasaki ZX10R remains the only VFM litre-class superbike option, even with the recently facelifted model priced at 15.37 lakhs - dispatching 176 units.
• Triumph Rocket III gains massively from the loss of Harley Davidson - earning good money from Indians - 128 units of a cruiser with a base price of just under 20 lakhs.

Kawasaki

• Kawasaki gained 42% sales compared to 2020, and achieved a market share of 46% in 2021.
• The value-priced Z900 brings home the maximum numbers for Kawasaki - with 577 units.
• 650 range keeps up their good sales - Vulcan S with 129 units, Z650 with 65 units, Ninja 650 with 318 units and the Versys 650 with 123 units - brings 635 units altogether.
• Ninja 1000 sales are down compared to last year, possibly after the price increase on the facelifted SX version - but still brings in 182 units.
• Versys 1000 numbers are higher YOY in comparison - with 79 units as against 43 last year.
• ZX10R remains the VFM and popular litre-class superbike option - with dispatches of 176 units.

Triumph

• Excellent performance from Triumph in 2021 - with 30% market share, 70% gain YOY.
• Triumph gained massively from the introduction of competent new products.
• Tiger 900 brought in maximum money with 214 units dispatched, whereas the Trident 660 brought in maximum numbers for Triumph with 295 units dispatched.
• Rocket III gains significantly from HD's loss and breaks into triple digits with 128 units.
• Street Triple retains decent sales as well with 132 units.

Continue reading CrAzY dRiVeR's sales report for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

The upcoming Vitara Brezza is also expected to get a CNG option.

Maruti Suzuki stopped producing diesel cars last year with the advent of the BS6 emission norms. Now, CNG is set to take their place. CNG models constituted 15% of the brand's overall sales by the end of 2021.

Maruti Suzuki plans to introduce more CNG models in the next few months. Reports suggest that the upcoming Brezza will also get a CNG option. It is expected to be launched this festive season.

If the trend continues and with the expansion of the portfolio, Maruti expects the shares of CNG to exceed the diesel share of 22%.

At present, the Tour S is the highest-selling CNG model in Maruti Suzuki's range constituting 78% of the total sales, while Ertiga CNG sales make up 46.4%. From April-December 2021, Maruti sold 1.32 lakh CNG vehicles and its market share stood at 82.5%.

Source: ET Auto

The Macan continued to be the brand's best-selling model in India.

Porsche announced that they sold 474 units in 2021, translating to a massive 62 per cent growth compared to 2020.

The company also stated that 2021 was their best year in terms of sales performance since 2014. The brand's order bank grew by 165%, re-affirming 2021 as its best-ever year.

According to Porsche India, while the first half of last year was difficult due to the pandemic, sales picked up immensely in the second half. The period between July and December saw Porsche record sales of 301 units, helping them achieve the sales record. The Macan continued to be the brand's best-selling model in India. Porsche sold 187 units of the Macan, accounting for 39 per cent of the total volume. The Porsche Cayenne came in second, while the brand's two-door sports cars accounted for a combined 17% share.

Porsche has a number of models lined up for the Indian market for 2022. These include the GTS versions of the fully-electric Taycan, the latest 911 GT3, the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and the Platinum editions of the Cayenne.

In 2022, Mercedes-Benz plans to launch the locally-assembled EQS electric sedan and S-Class Maybach.

Mercedes-Benz led the luxury car segment in terms of overall sales in 2021. The carmaker sold 11,242 units last year, registering a YoY growth of 42.5%.

According to the company, the long-wheelbase E-Class was the best-selling model in 2021, while the GLC became the highest selling SUV. The demand for models like the GLA, GLE, A-Class and S-Class was also strong. The carmaker's performance division AMG and Dream cars registered a growth of 110%.

In 2022, Mercedes plans to launch its first all-electric luxury sedan, the EQS. It will be assembled locally. The carmaker also plans to introduce the S-Class Maybach and other AMG models in the market.

Lamborghini currently offers the Urus, Huracan and Aventador in India, with the Urus being the most popular among them.

Lamborghini India is set to end the year on a high note. The Italian supercar maker recorded the highest ever sales in India this year, surpassing the record yearly sales of 52 units achieved in 2019.

Earlier this year, Lamborghini achieved the 300 units sales milestone in India. However, the carmaker hasn't disclosed the exact number of cars sold during 2021.

According to Shard Agarwal, Head of Lamborghini India, the supercar maker registered a growth of 20% in H1 2021. Demand started improving from October 2020. He also confirmed that the waiting period for a Lamborghini is 7-12 months, depending on the model.

Lamborghini currently offers the Urus, Huracan and Aventador in India, with the Urus being the most popular among them.

The highest number of vehicles were registered at the Tardeo RTO (15,195).

New car registrations in Mumbai went up by 13% in 2021 compared to pre-Covid times.

According to the data, 56,689 vehicles were registered at the four RTOs between January 1 and December 26, 2021. In comparison, just 38,592 vehicles were registered in the city in 2020. In 2019, this figure stood at 50,002 vehicles.

The highest number of vehicles were registered at the Tardeo RTO (15,195), followed by the Borivali RTO (14,679). Over 13,000 vehicles were registered at the Andheri and Wadala RTOs.

The overall vehicle registrations which include bikes, buses and heavy goods vehicles were also up 19% compared to the previous year. 1,95,109 vehicles were registered in Mumbai this year compared to 1,64,483 in 2020. Compared to pre-Covid times, vehicle registrations were down by 24%.

Source: ET Auto

In the first half of 2021, the Audi Group registered a pre-tax profit of €3,875 million.

The Audi Group has recorded its best half-year performance in the company's history. From January-June 2021, the carmaker delivered 9,81,681 units to customers worldwide, a rise of 38.8% compared to the previous year.

With close to a million vehicles sold, Audi's sales revenue grew by 42.7% to €29.2 billion. Its operating profit stood at €3.1 billion, while the operating returns on sales were 10.7%, which lies within the company's target range of 9-11%. The net cash flow amounted to €5.5 billion.

In China, Audi delivered 4,18,749 vehicles - a growth of 38.4% compared to the previous year. The brand registered a growth of 59.9% in the US market and 32.7% in Europe.

In the first half of 2021, the Audi Group registered a pre-tax profit of €3,875 million, with a net cash flow of €5,512 million.

Rural markets account for nearly 40% of Maruti Suzuki's sales.

Maruti Suzuki's cumulative sales in the rural markets have crossed the 50 lakh unit mark.

According to the company, rural markets account for nearly 40% of its sales. In FY 2008-09, this figure was a mere 10%. It rose to 20.5% and 28.1% in subsequent fiscals. Since FY 2014-15, rural markets have accounted for over 34% of Maruti Suzuki's sales consistently.

Maruti Suzuki has the largest rural network among all carmakers in India. The carmaker has over 4,000 service touchpoints including 235 'Service-on-wheels'.

Maruti has appointed Resident Dealer Sales Executives (RDSE) who are specially trained to understand the needs of the local customers. The company also has market-specific campaigns designed for rural masses.

The list of the top 10 best-selling cars includes 7 cars from the Maruti Suzuki stable.

When it comes to best-selling cars in India, the brand that often tops the charts is Maruti Suzuki. If you look at the data from the last decade, it's a similar story.

Maruti Suzuki leads the pack from Hyundai and Mahindra. The list of the top 10 best-selling cars includes 7 cars from the Maruti Suzuki stable, with Alto being the best-selling model occupying a market share of 19.66%.

The Dzire was the second best-selling car of the last decade, followed by the Swift and WagonR. The market share of the Dzire and Swift was 14.93% and 14.31% respectively, while that of the WagonR was 12.22%.

The best-selling Hyundai of the last decade was the Elite i20 with a market share of 8.04%, followed by the Grand i10 (6.93%).

The only Mahindra that made it into the top 10 list was the Bolero with a market share of 6.77%.

The Maruti Baleno, Eeco and Omni complete the top 10 with a market share of 6.66%, 5.42% and 5.07%, respectively.

Source: Autopunditz

Overall sales for the month of May 2021 stood at 5,35,855 units, compared to 11,85,374 units in April 2021.

According to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), Vehicle Retail sales fell by 54.79% in May 2021 compared to April 2021. Similarly, sales of all categories of vehicles fell by a huge degree with two-wheelers falling by 53%, three-wheelers by 76%, passenger vehicles (PV) by 59%, tractors by 57% and commercial vehicles (CV) by 66%, respectively.

Overall sales for the month of May 2021 stood at 5,35,855 units, compared to 11,85,374 units in April 2021. Since India was under complete lockdown in May 2020, a YoY comparison cannot be represented. However, compared to May 2019, when 18,22,566 units were sold, total vehicle retails have fallen by 71%.

This fall in sales is largely due to the lockdown imposed in various states during the month due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from urban markets, this time, even rural areas were badly hit.

The tractor segment registered a de-growth of 56.60% in May 2021. 16,616 units were sold as opposed to 38,285 in April 2021.

Two-wheeler sales decreased by 52.52% to 4,10,757 units from 8,65,134 units in the previous month.

Three-wheeler sales were down by 75.90%. 5,215 units were sold compared to 21,636 units in April 2021.

Passenger vehicle sales declined by 58.96% compared to the previous month. 85,733 units were sold compared to 2,08,883 units in April 2021.

Commercial vehicle sales dropped by 65.91%. 17,534 units were sold in May 2021 compared to 51,436 units in the previous month.

Team-BHP's detailed analysis of the May 2021 sales figures.