India October 2020: Tata (+79.2%), Kia (+63.5%) help lift market up 17.5%

The Kia Sonet breaks into the Indian Top 10 in October.

Indian wholesales continue to catch up on lost time in October thanks partly to new launches, at 333.660 units which is up 17.5% year-on-year. The year-to-date tally is now down -23.5% to 1.865.439. Our 2020 Forecast accordingly goes up from 2.36 million units (-20%) last month to 2.41 million (-19%) this month. Market leader Maruti (+17.6%) logically drives the market growth given it represents almost half of all Indian wholesales this month at 49% share vs. 50.2% year-to-date. Hyundai (+13.2%) underperforms slightly compared to the market but smashes its all-time volume record at 56.605 (previous best 52.001 in October 2018) and still manages a strong 17% share while Tata (+79.2%) and Kia (+63.5%) simply post the two largest gains in the entire market, ranking #3 and #4 respectively. Kia also breaks its monthly volume record for the 2nd month running, lifting it above 20.000 for the first time ever at 21.021 units and celebrates 150.000 wholesales since its launch in the country 15 months ago in August 2019. No other brand manages a double-digit gain, yet MG (+6.1%) also is at its highest ever volume-wise at 3.750 in 10th place just as the Gloster (aka Maxus D90) is about to hit the charts. At the other end of the scale Nissan (-69.6%), Volkswagen (-36.1%) and Datsun (-16.7%) are annihilated.

The new Toyota Urban Cruiser is a rebadged Maruti Vitara Brezza.

Model-wise, the Maruti Swift (+26.7%) 3peats at #1 and overtakes the Alto (-0.3%) to also take the lead in the year-to-date order. The Swift breaks a 3 year-old volume record at 24.589 wholesales (previous best is 23.802 in April 2017). Maruti trusts all positions in the Top 5 with the Baleno (+35.3%) at #2, the Wagon R (+30.3%) at #3 with a new volume record of 18.703, the Alto and DZire (-9.7%). In 6th place, the Hyundai Creta (+92.9%) also hits a new all-time record at 14.023 units, with the Hyundai Grand i10 (+41.8%), Maruti Eeco (+32.9%) and Vitara Brezza (+18.2%) also outpacing the market in the remainder of the Top 10. Launched last month, the Kia Sonet confirms it is an instant blockbuster like the Seltos before it, breaking into the Top 10 at #10 with a record 11.721 wholesales. The Tata Nexon and Altroz break their volume record again while we welcome the Toyota Urban Cruiser, a rebadged Maruti Vitara Brezza which will give the Japanese brand a boost in India, at #33 with just over 3.000 wholesales.

Previous month: India September 2020: Kia (+147.2%), Tata (+141.7%) continue to prop market up a cool 31.4%

One year ago: India October 2019: Kia matches Hyundai’s 1998 record launch with 12.854 Seltos

Full October 2020 Top 15 All-brands wholesales and Top 90 All-models below.