India May 2016: Innova up, Kwid down, Datsun RediGo lands

The new Innova Crysta lifts Toyota to 4th place overall.

* See the Top 20 brands and Top 80 models by clicking on the title *

The Indian new car market is up a hot 7.5% year-on-year in May to 229.367 registrations, lifting the year-to-date total up 7.6% to 1.188.119 units. The Top 4 brands all beat the market, resulting in a consolidation atop the ranking: leader Maruti is up 11% to 113.162 sales and a mammoth 49.3% share vs. 47.4% year-to-date, Hyundai is up 10% to 18% share and Mahindra is up 14% to 8% of the market. Toyota gains three spots on April and its year-to-date ranking to land at #4 with 12.614 deliveries (+10%), mainly due to the success of the new generation Innova Crysta, up 44% on the previous model a year ago. Honda freefalls at -26% as the all-new BR-V up 21 spots to #29 cannot compensate the crumbling down of its bread-and-butter City (-56%) and Amaze (-62%). Similarly, Tata (-23%) is now relying on the Tiago for 38% of its total sales now that the Indica (-72%) and Manza (-71%) have all but disappeared and the Nano (-37%), Zest (-17%) and Bolt (-17%) are getting even more discreet by the minute.

Surprisingly low score for the Renault Kwid this month. 

But the surprise comes from Renault, brilliantly up to #4 in April but back down to #7 with 3.6% share this month – still up 132% year-on-year however. The reason: the Kwid drops 43% on April from 9.795 to just 5.600 units. This goes against what the order books and the ramping up of the production would have let us to believe, but Renault advances factory maintenance and parts disruption as a justification. The French carmaker is the new kid on the block in India and cannot afford to lose the ground it has gained so fast in the past twelve months: Maruti and its Alto are already starting to breathe a sigh of relief at -12% vs. -23% last month… Ford (+22%) and Datsun (+37%) are the only two other mainstream brands to gain ground year-on-year.

The Datsun RediGo has landed in India. 

Back to the Alto falling below 20.000 monthly sales but remaining on top above the DZire (-14%) and Wagon R (+6%) while the Swift skids 28% due to increased cannibalisation from the Baleno, hitting its best ranking so far this year at #7. The Hyundai Grand i10 posts its strongest volume of the year: up a splendid 19% to 12.055 with the Elite i20 close behind a 10.472 (+1%). The Maruti Vitara Brezza breaks into the overall Top 10 for the first time to remain the most popular SUV in India, but just: at 7.193 sales, the Hyundai Creta (7.057) is breathing on its neck while the Mahindra KUV100 confirms it is an instant blockbuster at #3 in the SUV placing (4.446). The Maruti Ciaz is segment leader by far at #15 with 5.188 sales vs. just 3.305 for the Honda City. Finally, we welcome the Datsun RediGo at #56 with 576 sales. Although aimed at the Maruti Alto and Renault Kwid, it will struggle to reach the same heights based on the poor performances of the GO and GO+ before it.

Previous month: India April 2016: Leader Alto down 23%, hit by Kwid?

One year ago: India May 2015: Maruti Alto up 31%, Lodgy Renault’s best-seller again

Full May 2016 Top 20 brands and Top 80 models below.