Mahindra's XEV 9S is India's best-selling electric vehicle for second month running. Vahan registration data for August 2026 shows the XEV 9S at 3,743 units, ahead of Tata's Punch EV at 3,468 (which includes 38 units of the outgoing previous-generation) and MG's Windsor at 3,224. This is a shift from July, when just 61 units separated the top three models, XEV 9S led with 4,044, Windsor followed at 4,019, and Punch EV trailed at 3,983. Registrations fell across the board in August: XEV 9S was down 7.4%, Punch EV down by 12.9%, and Windsor down by 19.8%. The XEV 9S didn't grow, it simply declined the least, while Windsor's steeper fall dropped it from second to third.
Mahindra XEV 9S
The XEV 9S starts at ₹20.65 lakh, and it's still India's best-selling EV, running counter to the usual assumption that cheaper trims drive the most volume in a price-conscious market. It constitutes 56.64% of Mahindra's EV sales in August 2026. The 79 kWh battery variants account for 80.9% of its sales with 3,026 of 3,743 units. Variant wise, Pack Two Above is the single largest configuration at 1,277 units, 34.1% of total sales. The 79 kWh version sold 842 units while 435 units of the 70 kWh version were sold. Both variants cost over ₹25 lakh, which suggests Indian buyers are increasingly comfortable paying a premium for an EV rather than only chasing the cheapest option, a sign of maturing EV adoption in the market. Within the 79 kWh battery specifically, Pack Three Above is the top seller at 990 units.
Tata Punch EV
Among Punch EV variants, Empowered+ S leads with 1,843 units, 53.7% of the model's 3,430 new-generation registrations in August. With just ₹30,000 difference in ex-showroom price above the Empowered variant (₹12.99 lakh vs ₹12.69 lakh), the public is finding value in the top variant. Empowered managed only 504 units, 14.7% of sales, a fraction of what Empowered+ S sold. Adventure, which is also equipped with the 40 kWh battery pack, is the second most popular choice at 762 units, 22.2% of sales. Adventure trim includes 6 airbags, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, cruise control, the core features most buyers look for, while mainly missing out on the sunroof and dual-tone exterior that come with the Empowered trims. That makes it the practical second choice for buyers who want most of what matters without paying extra for cosmetic additions.
MG Windsor
Within the Windsor lineup, 52.9 kWh variants make up 70.2% of sales, 2,264 of 3,224 units, and the Essence Pro trim alone accounts for 62.5% of the model's entire August volume at 2,015 units. But the bigger story for Windsor is its 19.8% month-on-month decline, the steepest of the three, which dropped it from second to third. MG hiked Windsor prices by up to ₹60,000 effective July 1, 2026, on top of an earlier revision in April. Windsor is also now the oldest product among the top three. Both are plausible contributing factors, though neither can be isolated as the sole cause given the broader market-wide dip in August.
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