Buying a luxury car model can seem like a dream come true, but it might not be the best choice for someone who’ll have to think twice before giving an arm and a leg to buy a luxury car. That’s where second hand or pre-owned luxury cars come to the rescue. Sumit Garg, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Luxury Ride, a certified pre-owned luxury car aggregator that offers exclusive luxury cars at competitive prices, talks about what drives the luxury car market, their presence in India and also shares a few case studies related to their 15-day money-back guarantee. Read on…

What led you to starting Luxury Ride?
It all started with my passion for luxury cars since childhood. Following my passion, I entered the industry after completing my education. I soon realised that purchasing a luxury car involved a huge financial obligation. As the costs were high, many aspirational buyers found it difficult to own a luxury car. In this, the youth made up the bulk of the potential consumers, who were unable to buy a first-hand luxury car even after improving a lot on their disposable income and buying capacity. This motivated me to come up with Luxury Ride. It enabled the potential consumers to buy certified pre-owned luxury cars within their budget, and that too without compromising on the premium experience and performance of the car.

What are the current trends in the luxury car market?
Luxury cars are becoming a global trend. Moreover, in this, the rise of High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI) and Ultra High-Net-Worth Individual (UHNWI) populations has proved to be a major factor in propelling the growth of the luxury car market. Going by the trend, the affluent consumer base seeks a premium experience, along with greater resilience. For this, they highly prefer SUVs that perfectly tick the requirement list of emerging consumers.

How do you deliver the best quality vehicles at competitive costs, keeping emissions in mind?
The cars in our inventory are 100 percent certified, and the vehicles go through a thorough inspection by qualified automobile engineers. They are then sold to customers with a manufacturer’s warranty. Our vehicles undergo 151 inspection checkpoints to ensure the quality of the car. The cars are backed up with a six-month engine and gearbox warranty.

Who are your end users usually? What do they most look for when selecting a luxury car?
Looking at the industry trends, millennials and the youth form the majority of our consumer base. They always aspire to upgrade their lifestyle. They are driven by the desire to own a luxury car that has the latest technology and gives a premium experience. First-time luxury car buyers also make up a substantial part of the consumer base that already has a low- or mid-budget car in possession. In fact, luxury is the first and foremost element buyers look for in the car. The latest technology, with user-friendly features making driving a comfortable experience, also tops the list when purchasing a car. Considering that the new-age buyers want to experience extravagance within their budget, they are in search of value for money.

Have you ever ended up paying back a customer under your 15-day money-back guarantee? Under what conditions is this protocol applied?
Yes, there have been a few incidents. For instance, one of our customers bought an Audi Q5 and later found some issues. In his opinion, it was not up to the mark, which made him anxious. He came back to us and requested us to pay the amount back. As is our policy, we returned each penny. The best part is that after a month, he came back to us and purchased an Audi Q7. Hence, having such policies develops your trust with the end consumer. Another instance was where a customer’s family had an objection to the colour of the vehicle due to their religious beliefs after the son had bought the car for them. The customer wished to return the car and for us to return the amount paid. We checked the car for any mishandling and took it back and returned the amount once we were sure of the car’s condition. However, we don’t have the money-back guarantee if a car has met with an accident after being purchased or if the customer has mishandled the vehicle. Otherwise, a 15-day money-back guarantee is available for all of our customers. We believe that nobody buys a car in order to return it. So by providing the 15-day money-back guarantee, we are giving our customers an assurance that the car is in good condition and that the customer will not face any hassle with the vehicle.

Do you see an increasing demand for luxury cars in India, especially keeping in mind that the luxury segment in India is quite small?
The demand for luxury cars has been rising gradually in India. Considering that people today try to attain a certain lifestyle, they are considering shifting towards luxury cars. There is a certain desire for branded cars where buyers are looking for new models, terrific designs and amazing technology in the same car. These evolving aspirations are responsible for driving the popularity of this segment.

We are also seeing a V-shaped recovery in luxury cars. Why do you think that is?
The V-shaped recovery is due to a combination of factors, from changing consumer behaviour to rising affluent young consumers, local production and more. I believe the demand for luxury cars will only get stronger in the years to come.

How much emphasis do you put on safety in your luxury cars? What are the features?
The pre-owned luxury cars offered by us are integrated with advanced technology to leverage the safety requirements of the customers. Luxury cars nowadays come with smart safety features like rear parking sensors, lane departure warnings, traffic sign recognition and autonomous emergency braking. There are also GPS tracking systems, car alarms, electronic immobilisers, mechanical mobilisers and kill switches in order to avoid any instances of theft.

Like brand new luxury cars, used luxury cars, which cost half of the original price, are also very popular among buyers. Can you throw light on how this affects business for a company like Luxury Ride?
The pre-owned luxury car market has its own set of customers who have value for money, but at the same time, yearn for a premium experience. They want luxury but without disturbing their financial stability. Therefore, the pre-owned luxury car market caters to a different set of consumers who will be driving the demand for the segment.

Would you consider venturing into exotic cars?
Right now, our entire focus is on the pre-owned luxury car segment, where we want to create a niche for the segment in the market.

What is your company’s business model and do you provide any add-on services?
Our company has an omnichannel business model that brings about the confluence of offline and online assets. This is to harness the maximum benefits of both channels. It enables customers to explore through our vast collection of cars online, which also has a provision for physical tours to thoroughly inspect and get the feel of the car before purchasing it. Besides that, we have a provision for doorstep test drive for a hassle-free experience. Some of our prominent services include easy finance and insurance, park and sell service and an in-house service centre.

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Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, has reported its best-ever annual performance in FY2026 with wholesales of 641,587 units, up 15 percent YoY. This includes 631,387 units in the domestic market, up 14 percent, while exports came at 10,200 units, up 281 percent YoY.

For March 2026, the company’s sales came at 66,192 units, up 28 percent, while exports came at 779 units, up 204 percent YoY.

Interestingly, electric vehicles recorded its highest-ever quarterly sales of approximately 27,000 units, a 69 percent increase YoY. Annual EV volumes reached 92,120 units. On the other hand, sales of CNG vehicles crossed 170,000 units, up 24 percent YoY.

The Nexon and Punch models were the top-selling SUV models in the second half of the financial year. Recent launches, including the Sierra, a refreshed Punch and petrol variants of the Harrier and Safari, also saw continued customer traction.

The company expects the passenger vehicle industry to reach record annual volumes of approximately 4.7 million units, reflecting an 8 percent growth. Tata Motors emerged as the second-ranked player in the industry based on Vahan registrations during the second half of FY2026.

Shailesh Chandra, MD and CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said, “PV industry sales are expected to reach record volumes of around 4.7 million units for the year, reflecting 8 percent year on year (YoY) growth. The industry witnessed a strong rebound in the second half, posting double digit growth, supported by GST 2.0 implementation and a robust festive season. For Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, FY26 has been a landmark year marked by multiple milestones. We achieved our highest ever annual sales volumes of over 640,000 units, delivering industry beating growth of 15 percent YoY and ended it with strong positive momentum. Looking ahead, industry momentum is expected to sustain, led by growth in SUVs, CNG and EV. At the same time, the industry will need to closely monitor geopolitical developments to mitigate potential supply-side risks.”

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Honda Cars India (HCIL), a leading manufacturer of passenger vehicles, has recorded domestic sales of 7,585 units in March 2026, up 5 percent YoY, as compared to the 7,228 units sold last year. The company also reported exports of 2,451 units for the month.

The sales growth was supported by demand for the Amaze and Elevate models. Honda Cars India intends to expand its vehicle lineup in the upcoming financial year, with the launch of its first battery electric vehicle (BEV) scheduled for the second half of the year.

Kunal Behl, Vice-President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, “Demand for all Honda models specially Amaze and Elevate continues to be strong with exciting promotions and product offerings which helped us achieve 5 percent growth during Mar 2026. We are excited to enter the new fiscal with plans to expand our lineup, including the launch of our first BEV in the second half. We remain highly optimistic that our strong focus on customer satisfaction will continue to drive growth and sustain positive momentum.”

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Nissan Motor India (NMIPL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has recorded its best-ever monthly sale in March 2026, its highest in the last five years.

The company sold a total of 10,388 units in March 2026, which includes 4,408 units in the domestic market, while exports came at 5,980 units. This marks a 98 percent growth in domestic wholesales compared to February 2026.

The company attributed the smart uptick on the back of beginning of customer deliveries for the Nissan Gravite MPV, while the Nissan Magnite maintained its sales momentum. The expansion of its network presence also supported increasing customer traction.

The start of Gravite deliveries is identified as a milestone in the company’s growth phase in India. Nissan intends to sustain this trajectory by strengthening sales and service experiences and further expanding its network footprint across the country.

Saurabh Vatsa, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India, said, “March has been a defining month for Nissan in India, the strong growth in domestic sales reflects the positive customer response to our product portfolio. With the commencement of customer deliveries of the all-new Nissan GRAVITE, we would like to thank our customers for their love and appreciation for the Nissan Brand. The over-whelming response to the product reinforces our confidence in the opportunities ahead. Together with the continued momentum of the Nissan Magnite, the dedication of our Network Partners and support of Nissan Finance & other Banking partners, we remain focused on strengthening our Sales & Service experience, while further expanding our network footprint for sustaining long-term growth in the Indian market.”

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  - Bidyut Ghosh April 02, 2026 11:35 AM

  This is excellent move from Nissan India

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reports 20 percent uptick in its wholesales for FY2026 with 406,081 units sold, as compared to 337,148 units last year.

The company recorded growth across both domestic and export markets during the financial year. Domestic sales rose by 19 percent to 367,107 units, while exports grew by 41 percent to 38,974 units.

In March 2026, Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported a 24 percent increase in total sales, with 37,194 units sold compared to 30,043 units a year ago.

The company attributes a robust demand for its product portfolio, which was supported by the introduction of the Land Cruiser 300, as well as new grades and special editions for the Innova Hycross, Fortuner, Camry Hybrid and Hilux. Technical updates included a new six-speed automatic transmission for the Urban Cruiser Hyryder AWD variant.

The company also standardised six airbags across the Rumion, Glanza, Urban Cruiser Taisor, and Urban Cruiser Hyryder models. The Innova Hycross achieved a five-star Bharat NCAP rating during this period.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor expanded its market reach through customer-centric initiatives and brand engagement activities, including the Toyota Experiential Museum (TEM) and a tour by brand ambassadors Drum Tao. These efforts were intended to increase reach among younger audiences and reinforce the brand's mobility positioning.

Sabari Manohar, Executive Vice-President, Sales-Service-Used Car Business, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “We delivered a positive performance this financial year, driven by sustained demand across our SUV, MPV and compact segments. The introduction of new products and customer centric initiatives during the year further helped position Toyota as a dynamic, technology driven and youth‑oriented brand. This momentum reflects the continued trust in Toyota’s quality, reliability and overall ownership experience. In a rapidly evolving market, such consistency underscores the strength of our fundamentals and positions us well for long‑term sustainable growth. We sincerely thank our customers, dealer partner, Government and other stakeholders for their trust & unwavering support. We remain focused on strengthening our product and technology offerings in line with our multi‑pathway approach of hybrid & electrified vehicle technologies in the mobility space. Looking ahead, we remain committed to creating long‑term value while continuously improving every touchpoint across the customer ownership journey.”

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