India car sales analysed – January 2022

The last two years have been rough for the Indian automakers. Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage in the supply of semiconductors and the continuous rise in input cost of spares have also significantly impacted car sales in the country. The year 2022 brings in a fresh ray of hope for automakers as a significant population is fully vaccinated and the economy shows signs of improvement. 

The auto industry has kicked-off the new year with a mild 2.8 per cent drop in sales with 2,94,768-unit sales in January 2022 as compared to 3,03,398-unit sales in January 2021. Maruti Suzuki continues to be the highest-selling automaker, while Hyundai reclaims its second rank from Tata Motor, which now emerges as the third highest-selling automaker. For the uninitiated, Tata Motors was the second highest-selling automaker in the country in December 2021.

Read below to learn more about the sales performance of brands and their respective models in January 2022. 

Maruti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki is one of the major automakers in the country to be affected by the shortage in the supply of semiconductors. The Indian automaker registered 1,28,924-unit sales in January 2022 as compared to 1,39,002-unit sales in January 2021, with a seven per cent drop in sales. Refer to the table below to learn about the top three bestsellers for the company last month.   

Hyundai

Despite a 15.4 per cent drop in sales, Hyundai has claimed the second rank in terms of cumulative sales in India. The company sold 44,022 units in January 2022 as compared to 52,005-unit sales in the same period last year. The top three bestsellers for the company last month are graphically represented below.

Tata Motors

Tata Motors is gradually strengthening its position in the Indian market with a strong product line-up in both ICE and electric versions. The Indian automaker registered an impressive 51.1 per cent growth with 40,780-unit sales last month as compared to 26,980-unit sales in January 2021 last year. The following is the graphical representation of the top three Tata models sold in India last month. 

Mahindra

Mahindra has retained the fourth rank with 19,860-unit sales in January 2022 as against 20,498-unit sales in the same period in the previous year, with a 3.1 per cent drop in sales. The top three sellers for the company last month are as follows.

Kia India

Kia India has levelled up to the fifth rank in January 2022 from the seventh rank in December 2021. The South Korean automaker registered a 1.4 per cent growth in sales with 19,319-unit sales last month as compared to 19,056-unit sales in January 2021. It is worth noting that Kia has been outsold by Mahindra by 541 units. The top two Kia models sold in the country are as follows.

Honda

Honda retained the sixth rank in January 2022 with 10,427-unit sales as compared to 11,319-unit sales in January 2021, registering a drop of 7.9 per cent. The top-two bestselling Honda models in India last month are as follows.

Renault

Renault has registered 8,119-unit sales in India in January 2022 as compared to 8,209-unit sales in January 2021, thereby witnessing a drop of 1.1 per cent. The top-two bestsellers for the company in India last week are as follows.

Toyota

The Japanese automaker, Toyota registered a 34.1 per cent drop with 7,328-unit sales in January 2022 as compared to 11,126-unit sales in the same period last year. The significant drop in sales has resulted in the brand slipping down to the eighth rank last month as compared to the fifth rank in December 2021. The top three Toyota cars sold in the country last month are mentioned below.

MG Motor

MG cars are known to offer modern technology. Back in January 2022, MG Motor registered 4,306-unit sales as compared to 3,602-unit sales in January 2021, thereby registering a modest growth of 19.5 per cent. The two bestselling MG models in the country are as follows. 

Nissan

Yet another Japanese automaker in the country, Nissan has registered a growth of 5.7 per cent with 4,250-unit sales last month as against 4,021-unit sales in January 2021. Of the total sales, 3,827-unit sales are from the Magnite alone. 

Volkswagen

The German automaker, Volkswagen is gaining popularity in the Indian market. The company registered a strong 72.6 per cent growth with 3,523-unit sales as compared to 2,041-unit sales in January 2021. The Taigun is a major contributor to the overall sales with 2,432-unit sales last month. 

Skoda

Skoda has registered a strong 199.7 per cent growth with 3,009-unit sales in January 2022 as compared to 1,004-unit sales in January 2021. Of the total sales, 2,608-unit sales are from the Kushaq alone. 

Jeep

Jeep Compass is the lone volume generating model for the company in India. The Compass registered 861-unit sales in January 2022 as against 394-unit sales in January 2021, thereby registering a growth of 118.5 per cent.

Citroën

French automaker, Citroën currently has a single model on sale in India, the C5 Aircross. Last month the company sold 40 units of the C5 Aircross in the country. The company might introduce its second product, the C3 in the country sometime this year.