Passenger vehicle (PV) retail sales in FY2027 are off to a strong start. According to data from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, carmakers sold 4,07,335 units last month, recording the highest-ever April sales and a 12.21 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth.
- Rural markets’ share in PV sales rises to 41.2 percent, urban at 58.8 percent
- CNG and EV segments’ market share grew YoY in April 2026
Interestingly, while retail sales were up YoY in April 2026, they fell 7.45 percent from the previous month. This can be attributed to the typical surge in fiscal year-end dispatches.
Rural markets continue to outpace urban areas in growth
A notable trend is the persistent outperformance of rural over urban markets in terms of YoY growth. In April 2026, rural sales surged 20.4 percent, almost triple the 7.11 percent pace for urban centres.
While 58.8 percent of overall retail sales came from urban markets last month, the share of rural areas has been rising steadily – from 38.3 percent in FY2025 to 39.7 percent in FY2026 to 41.2 percent in April 2026 – and all signs point to this momentum sustaining in FY2027.
CNG share saw the highest YoY increase in April
Coming to the fuel mix, both petrol and diesel recorded YoY declines in their PV sales shares – petrol slid from 49.03 percent to 45.95 percent, and diesel went from 18.85 percent to 17.39 percent. Hybrids saw a marginal dip from 8.58 percent to 8.27 percent.
EVs and CNG cars stood out as the only ones to record YoY growth in sales share. CNG increased from 19.84 percent to 22.62 percent, while EVs grew from 3.7 percent to 5.77 percent.
Interestingly, MoM data shows that the share of petrol, hybrid and electric cars grew in April while that of diesel and CNG models fell.
Brand-wise retail sales in April 2026
Maruti Suzuki: 1,58,509 units sold
India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, recorded nearly 12.5 percent YoY growth in retail sales last month. Its market share also increased slightly from 38.83 percent in April 2025 to 38.91 percent in April 2026. The Dzire and Ertiga remain top sellers for Maruti, which has been seeing greater demand in the small-car segment of late.
Tata: 57,688 units sold
Slotting into a distant second place is Tata with 57,688 units retailed in April 2026 – a 27.8 percent YoY increase. Market share for Tata also rose from 12.43 percent in April 2025 to 14.16 percent last month. The recently launched Punch facelift and Nexon continue to sell in strong quantities, and Tata’s EV models recorded healthy growth, too.
Mahindra: 55,236 units sold
Mahindra registered a relatively modest 7.1 percent YoY growth last month, but the SUV maker’s market share dipped to 13.56 percent from 14.21 percent in the year-ago period. The Scorpio N and Scorpio Classic remain Mahindra’s bestsellers, with the Thar and XUV 7XO also contributing significant volumes.
Hyundai: 47,449 units sold
Retaining fourth place is Hyundai, which posted a YoY sales uptick of just under 5 percent in April 2026. Like Mahindra, Hyundai’s market share declined – from 12.45 percent in April 2025 to 11.65 percent last month. While the Creta remains Hyundai’s persistent top seller, the new Venue is also witnessing healthy demand.
Toyota: 27,006 units sold
Toyota’s retail sales grew by almost 5.5 percent YoY in April 2026, but the Japanese carmaker’s market share slipped from 7.05 percent in April 2025 to 6.63 percent last month. The Innova Hycross and Innova Crysta remain bestsellers for Toyota, followed very closely by the Hyryder midsize SUV.
Kia: 25,226 units sold
Hyundai’s sister brand, Kia, recorded a substantial YoY increase of nearly 12.77 percent in April 2026. Unlike Hyundai, Kia marginally grew its market share from 6.16 percent in April 2025 to 6.19 percent last month. The new Seltos has been a hit for Kia, and the Sonet remains a strong seller too.
MG: 6,064 units sold
Retail sales rose 14.76 percent YoY for MG, and its market share also inched up from 1.46 percent in April 2025 to 1.49 percent in April 2026. MG’s sales have increasingly leaned on the Windsor EV in recent years, as well as the Hector.
Honda: 5,346 units sold
Though Honda’s sales increased 5.71 percent YoY, its market share dipped from 1.39 percent to 1.31 percent. Of Honda’s current three-model portfolio, the Elevate SUV attracts the most sales. The Japanese carmaker is expected to launch the City facelift and ZR-V in India soon.
Renault: 4,087 units sold
Thanks to the highly-anticipated launch of the new Duster in March, Renault recorded one of the highest YoY sales surges of any carmaker here: 42.4 percent. Renault’s market share also increased from 0.79 percent in April 2025 to 1 percent in April 2026.
Nissan: 3,047 units sold
Nissan launched the Gravite earlier in 2026, which helped the Japanese carmaker achieve a hefty YoY sales increase of 59.2 percent in April. Its market share grew from 0.53 percent to 0.75 percent. Later this year, Nissan is expected to launch its equivalent of the Duster, the Tekton.
Vinfast: 1,232 units sold
Vinfast launched its debut models in India in September 2025, so its YoY performance can’t be judged yet. That said, the Vietnamese EV maker has witnessed healthy demand in India and recently launched its third offering: the VF MPV 7.
Uday Singh
Dhruv Dhaka
Glenn Noronha
