Passenger vehicle sales remain flat, wholesale numbers up marginally in May

Auto sales in May 2025: M&M wholesale numbers up 21%, Tata Motors posted an 11% dip in wholesale numbers

Passenger vehicle (PV) sales in May 2025 remained flat, falling short of the industry’s expectations of a better growth. While wholesale numbers inched up by just 0.1 per cent to around 352,000 units, retail sales slipped by 0.8 per cent, compared to the same month in 2024, said a senior industry source.

 

Meanwhile, Vahan data indicates the number of registrations during the month across states showed a 4 per cent drop to 2,97,649 units versus the same month last year. Telangana numbers are not part of the Vahan data.

 

Among the industry majors, Tata Motors posted an 11 per cent dip in wholesale numbers, including electric vehicles, to 42,040 units in May 2025 from 47,075 during the same period last year.

 

Mahindra & Mahindra registered a 21 per cent rise in PV wholesale figures in May to 52,431 units, versus 43,218 units during the same month last year. The other two market leaders, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India, are expected to come out with their wholesale numbers on Monday.

 

“In May, we achieved sports utility vehicle sales of 52,431 units, a growth of 21 per cent, and total vehicle sales of 84,110 units, a 17 per cent growth compared to the same month last year. Thanks to continued demand for our products, we were able to deliver industry-leading growth across our ICE and BEV portfolio,” said Nalinikanth Gollagunta, chief executive officer, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd. 

 

The company's PV registration numbers on Vahan moved up by 25 per cent to 43,691 units, versus registration numbers of other major players that dipped during the month.

 

New products like the two electric Origin SUVs – the BE 6 and XEV 9e – along with the XUV 3XO, Scorpio N, and Thar are driving the rise in M&M sales.

 

Another industry major that witnessed a surge in sales during the month was Toyota Kirloskar Motor India, posting a 22 per cent rise year-on-year to 30,864 units in May. In May 2024, TKM had sold a total of 25,273 units.

 

“With the onset of monsoon and forecasts indicating a normal to above-normal season, we remain optimistic about improved market sentiment in the coming months, particularly across rural and semi-urban regions,” Varinder Wadhwa, vice- president, Sales-Service-Used Car Business of the company, said in a statement.

 

Kia India too maintained its strong growth momentum for the fifth consecutive month by reporting 22,315 vehicle dispatches in the domestic market for May 2025. This marks a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth of 14.43 per cent, compared to 19,500 units sold in May 2024.

 

“The tremendous response to the Carens Clavis underscores the deep trust Indian families place in the Kia brand. With Clavis, we are looking forward to setting new benchmarks in the segment and making it more dynamic than ever before. Our strong sales performance in May reflects the growing resonance of Kia’s diverse offerings across segments,” said Hardeep Singh Brar, senior vice-president and national head of sales and marketing at Kia India.