Renault's sales in India more than doubled last month on demand for its Kwid small crossover.
Renault, which is No. 3 in the market, sold 12,426 vehicles, a rise of 211 percent, behind second-placed Hyundai Motor, which saw sales rise 10 percent to 42,351. Market leader Maruti Suzuki India's volume was up 16 percent to 117,045.
Overall, deliveries of passenger vehicles and vans, climbed 11 percent to 242,060 units last month, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said on Monday.
Automakers in Asia's third-biggest auto market are introducing new models in the fast-growing small SUV and hatchback segments to lure buyers.
Maruti entered the small SUV market with the Vitara Brezza in March and Tata Motors introduced its Tiago hatchback in early April. Renault's locally-built Kwid was introduced in May last year.
Cars gain
Sales of cars gained for the first time in four months and SUV deliveries rose at the fastest pace since November 2012, Vishnu Mathur, director general of the society, said at a press briefing.
SUV sales last month climbed 43 percent to 62,170 units. Hyundai's deliveries in the segment jumped to 7,926 units from 127 units a year earlier, driven by the Creta model introduced in July last year. Maruti's SUV sales more than tripled to 16,044 units.
Sentiment among rural buyers may improve after a forecast for above-normal rainfall during the annual June-to-September monsoon season, according to Mathur. Buyers in rural India purchase about 35 percent of cars, SUVs and vans sold in the country.
Reuters contributed to this report
