NEW DELHI: Car and SUV registrations in India reached 4,27,213 units in September 2026, the best September on record, according to retail data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) on 6 October. That is 32.10 percent more than in September 2025 and 6.17 percent more than in August.
The data comes from 1,468 of the country's 1,469 RTOs and was collated with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as of 3 October. Unlike the factory dispatch numbers carmakers publish on the first of the month, these figures count vehicles actually registered to buyers. Growth was almost identical in cities and villages, at 32.11 percent and 32.09 percent.
Mahindra edges past Tata for second place
Maruti Suzuki stayed far ahead with 1,69,132 registrations and a 39.59 percent share, though that share is lower than the 40.21 percent it held a year ago. The fight for second place was much closer. Mahindra and Mahindra registered 57,343 vehicles and Tata Motors 57,254, a gap of just 89 units.
Hyundai Motor India followed with 50,201 units, then Toyota Kirloskar Motor with 28,050 and Kia India with 26,663. Kia's share rose to 6.24 percent from 5.65 percent. The Skoda and Volkswagen group registered 8,479 vehicles, JSW MG Motor 6,475 and Honda Cars India 5,283.
The biggest jump in the table came from VinFast, which registered 2,964 vehicles against just six in September 2025. Nissan more than doubled to 2,967 units. In luxury, BMW India registered 1,970 cars and the Mercedes-Benz group 1,768.
These retail figures can differ from the dispatch numbers that companies reported earlier, such as Maruti Suzuki's September 2026 sales and Mahindra's 64,092 SUVs in September, because dispatches to dealers and registrations by customers do not happen in the same week.
Petrol and other fuels now neck and neck
The fuel mix is the most interesting part of the report. Petrol cars made up 41.27 percent of registrations in September. All the alternatives together made up 41 percent: CNG 23.11 percent, hybrids 9.44 percent and electric cars 8.45 percent. Diesel had 17.74 percent.
In August, alternative fuels had overtaken petrol for the first time, so FADA calls this an inflection rather than a clear switch. EV share is at a new high, while CNG eased from 25.28 percent in August. For buyers, it shows how far CNG, hybrid and electric versions have moved into the mainstream.
Why the 32 percent jump needs care
FADA President Sai Giridhar urged that the headline growth be read "with discipline". Last September, many buyers postponed purchases in the week before GST 2.0 took effect on 22 September 2025, which pushed September 2025 down and makes this year's growth look larger. FADA says the underlying growth rate for the first five months of FY27 is closer to 17 percent across all vehicles.
Passenger vehicle registrations for April to September 2026 stood at 25,44,187, up 24.48 percent from the same period a year earlier.
Stock is piling up before the festivals
For anyone planning to buy during Navratri or Diwali, the inventory number matters. FADA says passenger vehicle stock at dealers rose by another five days over August to around 43 to 45 days, against its recommended level of 21 days. Sixty percent of car dealers said they were holding more stock because of the coming festivals.
High stock can give buyers a little more room when they negotiate. FADA's own warning runs the other way on price, though. Dealers listed further price increases as their biggest risk for the quarter, because they eat into the savings buyers got from the GST cut.
For October, 75.57 percent of dealers expect growth, and 63 percent say their booking pipelines are already building. FADA expects demand held back during Pitru Paksha to turn into deliveries from mid-month, with Navratri running from 11 to 20 October. Hyundai's own dispatch figures for the month are in our report on its record September.
FADA's full category and company tables are in its September 2026 vehicle retail data release.
