India’s 10 Best Selling Cars in the last 12 months

Snapshot – In the 12 months that spanned April ’14  to March ’15, the top 10 list of best selling cars in India scarcely changed. However, look closely and you see a few surprises. From a veteran who is more than three decades old in the Indian market and a brand new South Korean upstart who has taken the market by storm, the top 10 selling car list is a solid indicator of the way the wind is blowing.

Maruti Alto

The most affordable hatchback with the Maruti Suzuki badge, the Alto with its 800 and K10 variants continues to rule the budget car space. In the 12 months that spanned the 2015 fiscal year, Maruti Suzuki inducted 264,492 units of the Alto twins, a 2.4 % sales increase. The car range saw the addition of AMT technology to the K10 variant, a factor that could boost sales further, in the coming months.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

The Dzire is India’s best selling sedan and the most dominant car of the sub-4 meter, compact sedan category. In FY 2015, Maruti Suzuki sold 210,649 units of the Dzire. The Dzire is sold in petrol and turbo diesel variants. The car also has a small export volume. The Dzire’s sales is nothing to be scoffed at, especially when competition rose sharply, with not one but two new compact sedans – the Hyundai Xcent and the Tata Zest – trying to chip away market share.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

The Maruti Suzuki Swift’s blistering sales run shows no signs of abatement though a steady stream of upstarts continue to enter the Indian B+ hatchback car segment. While the Hyundai Elite i20 is one of the strongest competitors of the Swift, the car hasn’t really made a dent on Swift dispatches, which remain strong at 201,338 units for FY 15. Hybrid and AMT variants of the car are lined up to tackle the future.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR

The tall-boy WagonR completes the Maruti Suzuki quartet at the top, with 161,250 units shipped from the automaker’s factory to dealers across the country in FY 15. The WagonR continues to thrive at a time when its oldest competitor, the Hyundai Santro Xing, has hung up its boots. An AMT variant of the WagonR StingRay is in the works while a twin cylinder, 800cc turbo diesel motor could also make it to future generations of this car.

Mahindra Bolero

Mahindra had a tough FY 15 but the Bolero continued to be a strong man in the utility vehicle giant’s line up for India. The MUV that enjoys great brand recall throughout the length and breadth of India clocked wholesale sales of 100,553 units for FY 15. This number also makes the Bolero the country’s best selling MUV for 9 consecutive years, which is no mean feat.

Hyundai Grand i10

 

The Grand i10 is Hyundai’s best selling car for FY 15, and this is a surprise given the fact that the South Korean automaker has a lower priced car, the Eon, also in contention. The Grand i10 is feature packed and comes with top notch interiors, two big reasons for buyers considering it. Also, the car is available in petrol, LPG and turbo diesel engine options. Last year, Hyundai sold 99,088 units of this hatchback.

Hyundai Eon

 

Though a direct competitor of the Maruti Suzuki Alto, the Eon 800 and 1.0 managed just a third of the former’s sales. Yet, 78,334 dispatches mean that the Eon is India’s 7th best selling car. The car is sold in LPG and petrol variants. The new, 1 liter Kappa petrol engine that was added recently is aimed at buyers who seek a peppier car. For most though, the 814cc-3 cylinder engined model will do just fine.

Hyundai i20 Elite

 

The Hyundai i20 Elite has been nothing short of a phenomenon in the B+ segment premium hatchback territory in India, with the car amassing sales of 77,747 units in just about 8 months of its launch. This number means that the car could very well be the in top five list of next year if it continues selling as it has. The i20 Elite is sold with petrol and turbo diesel engines.

Honda City

 

Diesel power has done the trick for Honda in India and one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Japanese automaker’s change in tack is the City C-Segment sedan, which has clocked sales of 77,384 units in the last 12 months. This includes shifting in production, from Greater Noida to Tapukara. The car is the best seller in its segment and builds upon the strong appeal of the City brand.

Maruti Omni

Some legends refuse to die. This is the story of the Maruti Omni passenger van, which is in the country’s top ten selling cars’ list more than three decades after its launch. The Omni’s longevity is a great case study on its own. Very reliable, and affordable, the Omni serves as a practical family van that can also be used to haul goods when the situation calls for it. With 74,686 units sold in the last 12 months, the van shows a stunning 16 % year on year growth.