From Maruti Suzuki Brezza to Tata Nexon: These are the best-selling cars of May 2022
The auto industry is recovering in leaps and bounds in comparison to May 2021. Maruti Suzuki dominated the list with eight of the top-10 places firmly held by the Indian manufacturer.
Maruti Suzuki Brezza | 10,312 units | Coming in at number 10, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza managed to make sales of 10,312 units last month. One year ago, the company sold only 2,648 units of the SUV marking a growth of 289 percent. The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is the Indian manufacturer’s only compact SUV, one that has been rebadged and sold as the Urban Cruiser by Toyota. The Brezza is powered by a 1.5 litre K-Series engine that produces 104 hp of maximum power and 138 Nm of peak torque. Maruti is all set now to launch the 2022 Vitara Brezza (simply named the Brezza this time) on June 30 with a new set of features and tweaks around the exteriors to refresh its rivalry with the likes of the Tata Nexon which comes up later in this list. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
2/10
Maruti Suzuki Eeco | 10,482 units | Next on the list is Maruti Suzuki’s van, the Eeco coming in with 10,482 units. Last year in May, Eeco sales amounted to just 1,096 units a difference of a massive 856 percent. The Eeco, too, is all set for its makeover and reports suggest that the new model is due for the festive season this year. The Eeco is powered by a 1.2 litre engine that churns out 62 hp of maximum power and 85 Nm of peak torque. Transmission is limited to just a manual gearbox, but there is a manufacturer fitted CNG engine option also available. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
3/10
Hyundai Creta |10,973 units | Hyundai’s top-selling SUV also makes its way to the list this time albeit at a much lower spot than it usually takes. Selling 10,973 the Creta gained only 46 percent over May 2021’s 7,572 unit sales figure. The Hyundai Creta has always been the Korean car company’s best-selling car overall and while it continues to retain its top-spot within the company, Tata Motors has managed to overtake it along with some previously top-selling manufacturers like Kia. Coming back to the Hyundai Creta, the SUV is available with three engines options on offer. The 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 115 hp of maximum power and 250 Nm of peak torque. Then there are two petrol engines on offer. While the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre produces 115 hp of power and 143.8 Nm of torque the 1.4 litre turbo petrol churns out 140 hp of maximum power and 242 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, iMT and 7-speed DCT. (Image: Hyundai)
4/10
Maruti Suzuki Dzire | 11,603 units | Maruti Suzuki’s entry-level sedan, the Dzire managed to make 11,603 units in sales. This is a 99 percent increase over May 2021’s 5,819 unit sales figure. The Dzire is the only sedan on this list and comes powered by a single 90 hp 1.2 litre petrol engine. This is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT transmission option. Maruti Suzuki also has a factory fitted CNG option available. The Dzire rivals the likes of the Honda Amaze and the Tata Tigor. The recent facelift has managed to keep the Dzire in the running along with its Rs 6.42 lakh starting price. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
5/10
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga | 12,226 units | In comparison to May 2021’s 2,694 unit sales figure, Maruti Suzuki sold 12,226 units of the Ertiga MPV. This is an increase of 354 percent year-on-year. The Ertiga was only recently updated and launched in April 2022. Minor design details such as an updated front grille, dual-tone alloys and chrome on the tail gate highlight the exterior changes while on the inside, a new metallic teak wooden finish is new on the dash and the seats now feature a dual-tone fabric. The biggest change, however, is that Maruti has updated the Ertiga’s engine with a new 1.5-litre DualJet engine. This new powertrain produces 103 hp of maximum power and 136.8 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual as standard and the old 4-speed torque convertor has been replaced with a 6-speed automatic unit with paddle shifters. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
6/10
Maruti Suzuki Alto | 12,933 units | Breaking in to the top-5 is Maruti Suzuki’s cheapest car, the Alto. With sales of 12,933 units, the hatchback’s sales has increased by 302 percent when compared to May 2021’s 3,220 units. The Maruti Suzuki Alto remains one of India’s cheapest cars on sale today starting at Rs 3.39 lakh ex-showroom. The Alto is powered by a single 796cc petrol engine that produces 48 hp of maximum power at 6,000 rpm and 69 Nm of peak torque at 3,500 rpm. Transmission duties are taken care of by a 5-speed manual gearbox. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
7/10
Maruti Suzuki Baleno | 13,970 units | Next comes the Baleno. The company’s premium hatchback was recently updated with new exterior and interior changes that is very refreshing. Selling 13,970 units in May 2021, growth is measured at 191 percent compared to last year. The Baleno is powered by a single 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 90 hp of power and 113 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options continue to include a 5-speed manual as standard. The older CVT transmission option however, has been ditched in favour of a 5-speed AMT gearbox. This has been done to increase fuel efficiency by up to 15 percent according to Maruti Suzuki. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
8/10
Maruti Suzuki Swift | 14,133 units | The Maruti Suzuki Swift comes in at third place selling 14,133 units in May 2022. In May 2021, the Swift recorded sales of 7,005 units, a difference of 102 percent. The Maruti Suzuki Swift has consistently, like the others on this list, been one of Maruti Suzuki’s best-selling cars and has managed to always remain in the top-five space. The Maruti Suzuki Swift is again powered by only a single 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 88.5 hp of maximum power 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm of peak torque at 4,400 rpm. Transmission options include both manual and automatic. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
9/10
Tata Nexon | 14,614 units | Tata Motors has been doing better in the past few months as it overtakes some of the other big manufacturers. With sales of 14,614 units, the Tata Nexon takes second place in the best-selling list. Compared to May 2021’s 6,439 units, this is a 127 percent increase year-on-year. This also makes it best-selling SUV in the Indian market beating the usual king of space, the Hyundai Creta, again. The Nexon is available with two turbocharged powertrain options. The 1.2-litre petrol is capable of producing 120 hp of maximum power and 170 Nm of peak torque. The 1.5-litre diesel on the other hand produces 110 hp of power and 260 Nm of torque. Transmission options come in a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed AMT form. (Image: Tata Motors)
10/10
Maruti Suzuki WagonR | 16,814 units | And taking the number one spot is Maruti Suzuki’s tall-boy hatchback, the WagonR. The WagonR, too, received a facelift recently with a new grille design, blacked-out alloys and a variant rejig. Selling 16,814 units, the WagonR has recorded a massive 706 percent increase in sales over last year’s 2,086 unit sales figure. The WagonR gets two petrol engine options. The 1-litre petrol produces 67 hp of maximum power while the 1.2-litre produces 90 hp of maximum power, same as the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Baleno and Dzire seeing as how the engines are the same. (Image: Maruti Suzuki)
Stanford Masters Journalist who writes on automobiles
