October car retail outpaces OEM dispatches to dealers, aided by GST reforms

Passenger vehicle (PV) wholesales — or dispatches from manufacturers to dealers — rose 17 per cent in October to more than 470,000 units, according to industry estimates. The rise was driven by sustained demand for both compact cars and SUVs, aided by GST reforms that reduced prices ahead of the festive season.

 

Retail sales, however, outpaced wholesales as vehicles continued to move swiftly out of showrooms. While final numbers are being collated, industry insiders estimate that retail sales reached around 600,000 units in October.

 

Maruti Suzuki India posted its highest-ever monthly dispatches in its 40-year history at 180,675 units, including light commercial vehicles. Retail sales were even stronger at 242,096 units, up nearly 20 per cent year-on-year.

 

“Our production team has worked hard for the last three Sundays to meet this surge in demand,” said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) at Maruti Suzuki India. He added that the company expects its Vahan market share to be around 43.5 per cent.

 

Models like the Fronx recorded a 53.3 per cent jump in retail sales with 28,327 units sold. Other strong performers included the Ertiga (23,429 units), Dzire (28,000 units), Swift (24,348 units), WagonR (24,193 units) and Baleno (23,000 units). The Eeco, with 18,207 units, also had one of its best-ever months. Banerjee noted that Brezza sales were affected by some production constraints, with retail at 17,847 units in October.

 

Maruti’s overall PV dispatches rose 10.48 per cent year-on-year to 176,318 units in October. The company currently has about 104,000 vehicles, or roughly 19 days of network stock.

 

During the 40-day festive period, Maruti saw bookings rise 42 per cent to 500,000 units, while retail sales nearly doubled year-on-year to 410,000 units. Bookings for cars in the 18 per cent GST slab — vehicles under four metres with engines up to 1,200 cc (petrol) or 1,500 cc (diesel) — increased by about 50 per cent.

 

Tata Motors reported a 27 per cent rise in dispatches to 61,134 units in October, led by SUVs, which accounted for a record 77 per cent of monthly sales. EV dispatches hit an all-time high at 9,286 units, up 73 per cent year-on-year. The Nexon posted a 50 per cent growth in volumes, while Harrier and Safari combined sold about 7,000 units.

 

According to Vahan data, Tata Motors retailed 74,705 units in October, up from 41,151 units in September, surpassing Hyundai Motor India and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), which retailed 65,045 and 66,800 units, respectively. Between Navratri and Diwali, Tata Motors delivered 100,000 vehicles, a 33 per cent increase year-on-year.

 

Hyundai Motor India reported dispatches of 53,792 units, down 3 per cent, while exports stood at 16,102 units. “October 2025 was a month driven by the festivals of Dussehra, Dhanteras and Diwali, further complemented by the positive impact of GST 2.0 reforms,” said Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director and COO, Hyundai Motor India. He added that the company achieved its second-highest ever combined monthly sales for the Creta and Venue, with 30,119 units sold.

 

M&M said it achieved its highest-ever monthly SUV sales in October at 71,264 units, a 31 per cent year-on-year increase. “October was a record month for us, driven by strong SUV demand,” said Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO, Automotive Division, M&M.

 

Japanese automaker Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reported a 43 per cent year-on-year jump in sales to 40,257 units in October. “The recently introduced festive editions of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder Aero Edition and the 2025 Fortuner Leader Edition have received tremendous appreciation for their unique styling and premium value proposition,” said Varinder Wadhwa, Vice President (Sales, Service & Used Car Business) at TKM. He added that GST reforms and the favourable festive environment boosted customer confidence and enquiries.

 

Skoda Auto India also posted its highest-ever monthly sales at 8,252 units in October. Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said the company expanded its network to 318 touchpoints in recent months and focused on geographic expansion to sustain growth.  October sales 

OEM	October 2025 Sales (units)	YoY Change (%)
Maruti Suzuki India	176,318	10.48
M&M	71,624	31
Tata Motors	61,134	27
Hyundai Motor India	53,792	-3.19
Kia	29,556	30
Toyota	40,257	43

  Source: Companies