The display of flagship XUV700 SUV, the three-door Thar and the XUV 300 at the Bharat Mobility Expo may not be as exciting as the ‘BE.RALL-E’ concept SUV painted in a shade of bright lemon-yellow and arranged at the centre of the stall. It is a true-blue off-road vehicle concept built on the INGLO architecture and electric in nature. It builds on Mahindra eSUVs’ core philosophy of ‘infinite possibilities’ with a compelling and exciting concept. 

The rugged interior and exterior of the ‘BE.RALL-E’ concept may seem like it has drawn inspiration from those Land Rover SUVs which participated in the Camel Rally, the fact is, Mahindra & Mahindra has some wild and highly exciting SUV up the sleeve – both on the ICE side and the BEV side. 

It was not long ago that the automaker unveiled the Vision Thar.e Concept, Global Pik-Up Truck in Cape Town, South Africa. The Vision Thar.e Concept brought to the fore the automaker’s recently engineered subsidiary, Mahindra Electric Automobiles Limited (MEAL) besides highlighting a powerful and distinctive new visual identity for it with such a concept. 

Under the ‘Born Electric Vehicles’ nomenclature, the automaker leveraged the INGLO architecture to build the Vision Thar.e. The ‘BE.RALL-E’ concept also uses the same architecture. 

While claiming that the INGLO architecture is being honed to engineer some very interesting BEV vehicles in the future, it is the body-on-frame Global Pik Up truck – claimed to be based on the Scorpio N platform – that points at how Mahindra & Mahindra is leaving no stone unturned to further strengthen its position in the Indian SUV segments. The Mumbai-based automaker is also pushing for a larger pie of SUVs and pick-up trucks in markets like South Africa and Australia among others. 

In India, the company is expected to launch the XUV 300 facelift, an electric large SUV based on the XUV 700 and the five-door Thar. What the three vehicles, when introduced, may not fully reflect is the changes the automaker is carrying out at its research valley on the outskirts of Chennai. 

It has been investing into some fancy labs, product development tools, and test and validation equipment. It is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to ensure that there is a made-in-India vehicle running across most of the markets globally. Coming from a market that is currently being dominated by Japanese and Korean automakers, the rise of a homegrown automaker like Mahindra & Mahindra to the global stage – the Chinese automakers are just doing that with their EVs particularly – will be an expression of a country’s technological, manufacturing, design and entrepreneurial strength.

The technology transition and transformation could provide homegrown automakers like Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors just the right opportunity to expand their presence to the global stage, aided albeit by the regulatory push in terms of safety and emissions. The BS VII emission regulation draft is ready as per the sources aware of the development. Its date of announcement could be as early as 2026 or 2027! 

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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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