Hyundai vs Maruti Suzuki – Which looks stronger?

Maruti's biggest advantage is scale and current volume momentum. Q1 FY27 total sales increased 29.3% YoY, domestic small-car sales grew 34.1%, SUVs 44.6% and exports 28.6%. Its domestic market share also increased by 2.3 percentage points to 41.2%. The momentum continued in August: Maruti sold 1,76,971 domestic passenger vehicles, up 34.8% YoY, while total sales including exports and OEM sales reached 2,19,220 units. Hyundai, however, is showing a meaningful recovery. August domestic sales reached a record 54,396 units, up 23.6% YoY, while April–August domestic sales were up 12.6%. Its CNG contribution has risen to 18% and rural penetration reached a record 26%. The problem for Hyundai is profitability. Q1 FY27 revenue was ₹16,335 crore, but EBITDA margin fell to 9.3% from 13.3%, while PAT declined 35.1%. Production disruptions and weaker exports because of the West Asia conflict affected the quarter. 🔥 Important industry trend This is particularly important for both companies: in August, CNG + hybrid + EV passenger vehicles together overtook petrol vehicles in India's retail market for the first time. That makes Maruti's CNG strength an important advantage, while Hyundai's growing CNG contribution and expanding SUV/product portfolio provide a route to catch up.