NEW DELHI: India’s passenger vehicle market clocked its strongest-ever first quarter in April-June, with domestic sales rising 25.9% year-on-year to a record 12.7 lakh units, driven by strong demand for SUVs, lower financing costs and fresh model launches.The record quarter also reshaped pecking order among automakers, with Tata Motors reclaiming the country’s No. 2 position by overtaking Mahindra & Mahindra.
According to Siam data, Tata Motors sold nearly 1.9 lakh passenger vehicles in the domestic market during the quarter, compared with close to 1.3 lakh units a year earlier, allowing it to move ahead of Mahindra, which sold over 1.7 lakh units, up from 1.5 lakh units in the corresponding period last year. Maruti Suzuki retained its leadership with 5.3 lakh units, while Hyundai Motor India remained fourth with nearly 1.4 lakh units.For Tata, models such as Punch and Nexon continued to anchor sales in the compact SUV segment, while Curvv added momentum in the mid-size category. The Harrier and Safari also witnessed healthy demand, helping the company’s utility vehicle sales jump to 1.5 lakh units in the quarter.