Carmakers

Bright start to FY27 for carmakers with sales of 450K units in April

Carmakers began the new fiscal on a strong note, with an estimated 4.5 lakh units of passenger vehicles sold in April in the domestic market, up 27 per cent, on the back of record sales by firms, including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Kia. The industry continued to benefit from the tailwinds of GST 2.0 carried forward from the second half of last fiscal, along with repo rate cut and income tax benefit, Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Partho Banerjee said. Passenger vehicle (PV) sales in the domestic market were 3.54 lakh units in April last year. Maruti Suzuki India posted a record domestic sales of 1,91,122 units in April compared to 1,42,053 units in the year-ago month. Its previous highest domestic sales were in December 2025 at 1,82,165 units. "We are starting this year with a big bang. Small cars have contributed significantly to this growth," Banerjee told PTI. The company's small cars, comprising Alto, S-Presso, Celerio and WagonR, grew 74.4 .

VinFast to offer multiple EV options across different segments in India

Vietnamese electric carmaker VinFast on Wednesday said it will offer multiple product options addressing different segments in India as it reiterates its commitment to the country. The company launched its all-new premium electric, seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle VF MPV 7 priced at Rs 24.49 lakh (ex-showroom India). "With the VF MPV 7, we are entering a new segment, but more importantly, we are expanding our commitment to India," VinFast India CEO Tapan Ghosh said at the launch of the new model. Noting that the VF MPV 7 seven is designed for modern Indian customers to move together with family or friends, he said the new model is also a signal of where VinFast is headed in India. "We are here to offer multiple product options to Indian customers for their varied mobility needs," Ghosh said. VinFast has been accelerating expansion of its retail and service network across India with a target of 75 showrooms nationwide by the end of 2026, up from the current 50 touchpoints, Ghosh

India's auto boom at risk as West Asia conflict disrupts gas supply

The disruption comes at a time when India's car demand is soaring to record levels, with sales expected to cross 4.5 million units in the current fiscal year to March 31

BEE mulls tough norms as six major carmakers meet emission targets

After six major carmakers comfortably met CAFE-2 emission targets for FY24 and FY25, BEE is considering tougher, annually tightening CAFE-3 norms, though the industry favours a single target

One target or five: Siam opposes Bureau of Energy Efficiency's CAFE 3 reset

At February 10 meeting, BEE proposed separate yearly CAFE-3 emission targets

India offers EU automakers 6 times larger quota than UK, cuts car tariffs

Beyond the quota, the trade pact has negotiated a rate cut to 35 per cent over 10 years for fossil-fuel powered cars, officials added

Q3FY26 auto sector preview: Festive demand, GST cuts to lift earnings

Festive-led demand, GST rationalisation, easing rates and operating leverage are expected to drive strong revenue and profit growth for auto OEMs and ancillaries in Q3FY26

Tata Motors ramps up capacity amid strong demand for Sierra, Punch

The country's third-largest PV maker is scaling up output through debottlenecking and brownfield expansion as demand for Sierra builds and the Punch facelift, including a CNG automatic, gains traction

Passenger vehicle dispatches rise 27% in Dec 2025 on strong demand: Siam

Total passenger vehicle sales stood at 3,99,216 units last month as compared with 3,14,934 units in the year-ago period, registering a growth of 26.8 per cent

Asian car, battery makers revamp EV strategy amid US market changes

Asian car and battery makers are changing their EV strategies after US market shifts, Ford's moves and policy changes shake up global electric vehicle plans

Nissan teases 7-seater B-MPV 'Gravite', eyes India comeback from 2026

Scheduled for launch in early 2026, the Gravite will be locally manufactured at Renault-Nissan's Chennai plant and is the first model under Nissan's refreshed India strategy

15 'no', 2 'yes' votes: CAFE relief for small cars leaves industry divided

A deep split has emerged within India's auto industry over the proposed CAFE exemption for small cars, with only Maruti Suzuki and Renault backing the move in the final SIAM vote

CAFE norms: Carmakers split over relief to flex-fuel, strong hybrids

Both technologies, if combined, may narrow EVs' emission edge

With $57 bn valuation, Maruti becomes 8th most valuable carmaker globally

Maruti Suzuki India, the largest unit of Japan's Suzuki Motor, has surpassed global heavyweights like Ford Motor, General Motors, and Volkswagen AG. It has even surpassed its Japanese parent company

Carmakers assure warranty cover for older vehicles using E20 fuel

Automakers are in the process of informing dealers about E20 usage in older cars and related guidelines

Xiaomi succeeds where Apple failed as its new EV surpasses 289K orders

Xiaomi has set a delivery target of 350,000 units in 2025, up from its previous goal of 300,000, buoyed by demand for the newly launched YU7 and a ramp up in production

Consensus goes for a toss over question of weight in car CAFE norms

The new proposal made by the auto major goes against the consensus position submitted to the government in December 2024 after months of industry-wide consultation

UK car theft crisis near 15-year high as manufacturers face high-tech gangs

Car theft is a growing problem in the UK, as almost 130,000 vehicles were stolen in the year ending March 2024-near a 15-year high-costing insurers $867 million

Renault's CEO search includes insider Le Vot, Stellantis' Picat: Analysts

Renault shares fell as much as 8 per cent on Monday, their biggest one-day percentage drop since February 2022, as investors worried about the company's future without de Meo at the helm

Auto firms need to think innovatively to attract buyers back to small cars

Car-market executives attribute the drop in small-car sales to stagnating incomes across the board, with only 12 per cent of Indian households earning over ₹12 lakh annually