May 2026 Sales Report Card: Tata Sierra vs Renault Duster vs Skoda Kushaq vs Volkswagen Taigun vs Kia Seltos

The mid-size (or compact) SUV segment in India enjoys strong acceptance. The competition too is fierce. In the recent past, we have seen several interesting mid-size SUV launches- both all-new models and updates to existing ones. Using sales data from May 2026 as the baseline, let’s see how the relatively new mid-size SUVs- new Renault Duster, Tata Sierra, second-generation Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq facelift and Volkswagen Taigun facelift- are performing in the market. Of these, it is the Seltos that sold the most number of units. Let’s take a closer look…

Kia launched the second-generation Seltos in India in early January 2026. It came with big changes in design, dimensions and cabin experience. Indian SUV buyers seem to love the new Seltos. It has been consistently posting healthy monthly numbers.

In May 2026, it sold 10,597 units. In May last year, 6,082 units of the SUV were sold. This translates to an year-on-year growth of 74.2%. In April 2026, Kia had posted sales of 10566 units of the Seltos. This shows a month-on-month increase of just 0.3%.

The new Seltos comes with the same engine options as before- 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol, 1.5L diesel and 1.5L turbocharged petrol. Both manual and automatic transmissions are also offered.

The new Sierra was launched in November 2025. It marked the return of an iconic nameplate. The SUV sold 6606 units in May. In April, however, the numbers stood at 7316 units. This marks a decline of 710 units (roughly 9.7% month-on-month de-growth) in May.

The Sierra is also available with three engine options- 1.5L naturally aspirated Atkinson cycle petrol, 1.5L turbocharged diesel and a newly-developed 1.5L direct injection turbocharged petrol engine.

It was only in March that Renault launched the new, third-generation Duster here. Its launch got many excited. However, May numbers show that actual adoption has remained modest. The new Duster sold just 1267 units in the month. In April, it had sold 2359 units. Monthly sales have thus declined by roughly 42%.

Two engine options are offered on the new Duster- 1.0L turbocharged petrol and 1.3L turbocharged petrol. The former comes only with a manual transmission while the latter can be had with a manual and a six-speed DCT automatic transmission.

The facelifted Skoda Kushaq was introduced in March this year. It features a refreshed design and has more equipment inside. It sold 1310 units in May. That’s 43 units more than what the Duster sold during the month. 1851 Kushaqs were sold in April, marking a 29% month-on-month decline this time.

The facelifted Kushaq continues with the same engine options as before- 1.0L turbocharged petrol and 1.5L turbocharged petrol. Both manual and a new 8-speed automatic transmissions are available on the smaller engine while the bigger unit comes only with a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission.

Volkswagen Taigun facelift, launched in April, sold 1281 units in May. In May last year, 1126 units were sold. On an year-on-year basis, Taigun’s sales have grown by 13.8 percent. In April this year, Volkswagen sold 1543 Taiguns. On a month-on-month basis, the SUV’s sales have come down by around 17 percent.

The Taigun facelift retains the same engines as the previous model. It comes with 1.0L turbocharged petrol and 1.5L turbocharged petrol engines. The smaller engine comes with a manual and an 8-speed automatic transmission while the other comes only with a DSG automatic transmission.