Automobile Industry

Automaker Kia India on Saturday reported a 27.4 per cent rise in wholesale dispatches at 28,200 units in July 2026 as compared to 22,135 units in the same month last year. This marks Kia India's best-ever July wholesale performance since inception, the company said in a statement. "Our best-ever July wholesale performance reflects the continued trust of our customers and the strong acceptance of Kia's diverse product portfolio. Building on our record H1 performance, we have maintained healthy momentum across key segments," Kia India Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Atul Sood, said. The company said July sales were on the back of continued momentum driven by Seltos and Sonet, supported by sustained demand for Carens Clavis, Clavis EV, and MY26 Syros.

Auto stocks in demand: BSE Auto index rose 2 per cent, and quoted nearly its all-time high of 64,584 hit on January 1, 2026.

While near-term uncertainties surrounding the monsoon, crude oil prices and geopolitical developments persist, auto sector's growth outlook is increasingly being driven by structural demand.

R C Bhargava talks about the rise of the Indian passenger vehicle market after the 1991 reforms and the industry's continuing transformation

Hinduja group flagship firm Ashok Leyland expects the domestic commercial vehicles market to grow in single digit this fiscal as demand continues to be buoyant despite headwinds due to the West Asia war. The diesel price hikes have had an impact on demand initially but have now stabilised, Ashok Leyland President MHCV, Sanjeev Kumar, told PTI here. "First half growth will be better, but when it comes to the second half, because of the base effect, growth percentage is lower. Overall, it should be single-digit growth," he said. Kumar was responding to a query on the growth outlook for the ongoing fiscal for the commercial vehicles industry. In the first two months of the fiscal, there were challenges, and then there was improved market sentiment in June, he added. "Now we are again seeing some challenges. Having said that, overall we are optimistic...," Kumar noted. The overall expectation is that the market continues to be good, he said, adding, "we are hopeful that the second qu

The Centre has released draft CAFE-III norms for passenger vehicles. Here's what the proposed fuel-efficiency rules change, and what they could mean for carmakers and buyers

India's automobile industry recorded its strongest-ever first quarter, with record sales across key segments, while SIAM expects festive demand and easier financing to sustain momentum

Brazil avoided it, but India seems to be rushing through the ethanol transition at consumers' expense viewpoint

Passenger vehicle sales touched about 400,000 units in June, supported by tax relief, lower interest rates and robust rural demand, though higher crude oil prices remain a concern

Key trigger: Brent Crude prices have declined to $73/barrel, to almost its lowest since start of the US Iran war on February 28, 2026.

Vehicle launches are running 9-15 months behind schedule despite significant spending on digital product development tools, according to a Vector Consulting Group study

Scooters powered highest-ever 2W volumes, shows Siam data

Automakers are increasingly opting for smaller, more frequent price increases to offset rising input and manufacturing costs, rather than implementing annual hikes

German luxury car maker BMW Group India on Monday said it will increase prices by up to 2 per cent across its entire BMW and MINI vehicle portfolios with effect from July 1. The price hike will be applicable across locally-produced as well as completely-built-up BMW and MINI brands, the company said in a statement. "To protect our premium standards against macroeconomic headwinds -- specifically rupee depreciation and escalating logistics costs -- we are introducing a price increase of up to 2 per cent across our portfolio, effective July 1," said Hardeep Singh Brar, President and CEO, BMW Group India. BMW India's range of locally produced cars includes the 2 Series Gran Coupe, 3 Series Long Wheelbase, 5 Series Long Wheelbase, 7 Series, X1, X3, X5, X7, M340i and iX1 Long Wheelbase models. Besides, it also offers i5 M60, i7, i7 M70, BMW iX, M440i Convertible, M2 Coupe, M4 Competition, M5 and XM as completely built-up units (CBU).

EV penetration across segments touched an all-time high of 11% in May, compared with around 7% for the full FY 2025-26

The total automobile retail sales in India registered an on-year growth of 9.55 per cent to a record 25,31,067 units in May despite fuel-price revision, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations said on Monday. The cumulative automobile retail sales in India stood at 23,10,451 units in the same month last year. The retail sales performance reflects all-time best May for three-wheelers, passenger vehicles and tractors -- a strong outcome for what is seasonally a lean month. Dealers reported a visible rise in enquiries for fuel-efficient and alternative-powertrain options, reflected in the two-wheeler EV share climbing to 9.25 per cent from 6.11 per cent a year ago. According to data released by FADA, Passenger vehicles (PV) retail sales were at a record 4,02,591 units last month as compared to 3,26,656 units in May 2025, a growth of 23.25 per cent. Two-wheelers also clocked best-ever monthly numbers at 18,44,947 units in May this year as compared to 17,15,581 units in the

To qualify under the ₹25,938 crore auto PLI scheme, a vehicle model's import content must be restricted to 50 per cent, meaning less than half of its value (in rupee terms) can be imported

Maruti Suzuki's new RD-backed auto loan scheme helps buyers build a down payment while enabling lenders to assess repayment discipline before loan disbursal

May 2026 auto sales show strong PV and tractor demand but softer 2W and CV trends. Analysts favour Maruti Suzuki, TVS Motor, M&M and Tata Motors

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), India's largest carmaker, saw its domestic sales grow 40 per cent Y-o-Y to 190,337 units