August 2023 was another momentous month for the Indian automotive sector. With its eight vehicles hitting the top ten list, Maruti Suzuki continued its stint as the clear leader of the pack. The firm's enduring presence on the list demonstrates how well-established it is in the Indian auto industry. The remaining spots on the list were taken by other auto manufacturers like Hyundai and Tata Motors, with the Creta and Punch, respectively. We take a look at the five vehicles that significantly impacted sales last month. So, without any further ado, here are the top five best-selling cars for the month of August.
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Maruti Suzuki Swift
The Swift has been India's top-selling vehicle for three months in a row and emerged as a star performer last month as well. It’s a tried-and-tested offering with a dependable 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine, which can generate 86bhp of maximum power and 113Nm of peak torque. It also comes with a CNG option. In August 2023, the leading carmaker sold 18,653 units of Swift, a significant increase from the 17,896 units sold in July. In terms of YoY comparison, it sold 11,275 units in August last year, which is a significant growth of 65.44 per cent. The Swift grabbed the top spot with a 12.99 per cent share in the top ten list, indicating that its popularity appears to be on the rise.
The hatchback has a 7-inch Smart Play infotainment system, a dual-pod instrument cluster, taillights, and an idle start/stop feature. The top-spec variants get features like automatic air conditioning, cruise control, electrically adjustable ORVMs, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Second on the list is the Baleno, which is doing quite well in terms of sales. It sold 18,516 units in August 2023, which is a slight increase of 0.53 per cent over the 18,418 units it sold in August 2022. Moreover, the manufacturer recently included a number of new features in the latest update to support its premium price tag, including a 360-degree camera, a three-point seatbelt, a heads-up display, and a 9.0-inch infotainment system.
The Baleno was modified by Maruti Suzuki to comply with Bharat Stage 6 Phase II regulations and become E20 fuel compliant. The car has a single engine option – a 1.2-litre NA petrol engine with a maximum output of 88.5bhp and a peak torque of 113Nm. The two available transmission options are a 5-speed manual transmission and Maruti Suzuki's AGS automatic manual transmission. The manual Baleno and the Baleno with AGS both offer respectable fuel economy ratings of 22.3 km/l and 22.9 km/l, respectively.
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R
The popular Wagon R, which has been another best-seller for the company for some time, sits third on the list. With 15,578 units sold last month, the tall boy witnessed a 15.33 per cent decline in sales from the 18,398 units sold in August last year.
The Wagon R has a simple yet stylish design, which is accentuated by elements like sweptback halogen headlights, alloy wheels, ORVMs with turn indicators, and tall taillights. There are two engine options, both of which meet BS6 phase-2 emission standards. The first is a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder K-Series base petrol engine, which produces a maximum of 65bhp and 89Nm of torque. The second engine is a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder K-Series petrol unit with more power, which powers the top-spec versions. This engine makes 113Nm and 88bhp. Further, buyers have a choice of an AMT or a 5-speed manual transmission. The 1.0-litre K-Series engine in the CNG variant develops 55bhp and 82Nm of torque.
Maruti Suzuki Brezza
The next model on the list is yet again a Maruti Suzuki offering – the Brezza, which also saw a 4.09 per cent decline in sales with 14,572 units sold in comparison to its sales in the same month last year. For the uninitiated, the automaker rolled out the updated Brezza in the Indian market in June 2022, at a starting price of Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
The new Brezza is powered by the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, although it has undergone a few changes. The K15B component from the earlier iteration of the engine has been replaced by the K15C, with dual-jet technology (two injectors per cylinder). In order to make up for this, the power and torque outputs have been marginally decreased to 102bhp from 103bhp and 137Nm from 138Nm. Like the previous model, every variant of the new Brezza gets a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. The automatic variant, which also features paddle shifters, gets a 6-speed torque converter instead of the earlier 4-speed unit. Similarly, mild hybrid technology is standard on both.
Tata Punch
At number five, we have Tata Motor's Punch. Tata sold 14,523 units of the SUV last month, registering a 20.96 per cent increase from August 2022, when the company sold 12,006 units of the SUV.
The Micro SUV's drivetrain features a BS6 Phase-2 compliant 1.2-litre petrol unit, capable of producing 82bhp and 112Nm of peak torque. It is available with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT transmission. The model incorporates a split-headlamp design in the front, along with plastic cladding, faux roof rails, and squared wheel arches. On the feature front, it comes with a 7-inch touchscreen system, automatic air conditioning, a semi-digital instrument cluster, connected car technology, and so on. The Tata Punch SUV is equipped with dual front airbags, a reverse camera, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, and rear parking sensors for safety purposes.
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