Key highlights
- Hyundai has lost the second position battle
- The current second-position fight is between Tata and Mahindra
- Creta remains the top-selling car of the brand
Hyundai, a brand that once used to be the permanent residence of the second carmaker in India, has been pulled down to the fourth position by the Indian carmakers. Read below what went wrong.
Also read: Mahindra XEV 9S interiors teased ahead of the debut this month
Hyundai India is no more in the top three!
Hyundai entered India in 1996 with a target to offer premium yet affordable cars to the Indian customers. After nearly three decades, the brand has definitely come a long way. However, it once ruled the second position undefeated, which is also a thing of the past now.
The Korean brand, which was holding on to the second position until recently, has been thrown off the top three carmakers list by Tata and Mahindra. The fight for the second position is between the Indian carmakers, which have been hovering with their new products and consistently updating their lineup.
Going by the monthly sales figures data, Hyundai was among the top three carmakers until August 2025. However, the GST 2.0 rates seem to have had a big impact on the brand. While Hyundai also reduced the prices of its cars, it was Mahindra and Tata who benefited more from the new GST rates.
In fact, ever since the new GST cuts came into effect, the Tata Nexon has become the top-seller for the brand after Punch. Moreover, the lack of CNG options in Hyundai models has had a big impact from rivals like Tata, who are offering the new dual-cylinder CNG tech at aggressive prices.
For reference, in October 2025, Hyundai sold 53,792 units, while Mahindra sold 71,624 units cumulatively. This is a huge gap, especially considering that Mahindra sold nearly 5,000 units less in August 2025.
As far as the future strategy is concerned, Hyundai is reported to be working on new models, which include a small electric compact car for India. A plethora of new models, including updates and new products, are planned to be introduced within this decade.
