The used-car market is expected to grow 12-15 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) during the October-December festive quarter, with organised players likely to clock 25-30 per cent growth or higher, driven by demand from rural markets, first-time buyers and rising consumer confidence.
Cars24 expects its business to grow 55-60 per cent during the festival season, while Spinny recorded its highest-ever single-day deliveries on October 11, the first day of Navratri.
Spinny delivered 1,370 cars across 24 cities, up 96 per cent Y-o-Y and 1.7 times its previous single-day record. Cars24 delivered 750 cars, a 58 per cent increase Y-o-Y and five times its normal Sunday level.
Shivanshu Makkar, builder at Cars24, said festive quarter sales are typically 25 per cent higher than in other quarters, making October-December the industry's strongest period. The company expects the second half of the financial year to outperform the first.
Rural markets, first-time buyers fuel growth
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More than 40 per cent of Cars24’s sales are now linked to rural registration and transport office (RTO) locations, although procurement remains concentrated in urban markets. Over 55 per cent of purchases in rural RTO markets are financed, Makkar said.
Around 70 per cent of Cars24’s customers are first-time car buyers, rising to nearly 90 per cent in rural markets. The widening reach was evident on the first day of Navratri, when 28 per cent of Cars24’s deliveries went to pin codes where it had recorded no sales on the corresponding day last year.
Makkar said Navratri deliveries are generally 40-50 per cent higher than usual, with the first day seeing four to five times normal volumes as buyers time purchases around auspicious dates. Dhanteras can see three to four times normal deliveries.
At Spinny, Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra and Karnataka accounted for 62 per cent of first-day Navratri deliveries, with Pune leading among cities at 180 cars.
SUVs gain ground
SUVs are the fastest-growing category in the used-car market, expanding at nearly 1.5 times the rate of hatchbacks, although the latter still account for more than half of sales, Makkar said. He said used-car demand typically follows new-car trends with a lag of about three years, bringing the earlier shift towards SUVs into the pre-owned market.
Spinny’s Navratri data showed hatchbacks accounting for 55 per cent of deliveries, SUVs 26 per cent and sedans 14 per cent. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno was its most-delivered model, followed by the Hyundai Grand i10, Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Swift and Tata Tiago.
At Cars24, the Tata Nexon and Punch saw strong demand, while Maruti Suzuki accounted for over 40 per cent of sales. One in three cars delivered by both platforms had automatic transmissions.
Luxury segment sees traction
Pre-owned luxury cars are also benefiting from festival demand. Spinny’s luxury car deliveries grew 21 per cent Y-o-Y in the first half of 2026, while average selling prices rose 25 per cent.
“The segment is being driven by rising aspirations, the increasing price of new luxury vehicles and the compelling value offered by pre-owned cars,” said Hanish Yadav, senior vice-president, Spinny. The company expects luxury car sales in October-December to be around 30 per cent higher than in June-September.
The Audi Q3, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are among the top selling models on Spinny Max, its luxury car platform. BMW accounted for 33 per cent of the platform’s luxury deliveries on the first day of Navratri.
Yadav said the average pre-owned luxury car buyer is now around 35-40 years old, reflecting growing interest among younger consumers.
Prices remain stable
Used-car prices have remained broadly flat ahead of the festival season, Makkar said. Cars24’s average transaction value remains between ₹5.5 lakh and ₹6 lakh, although it could decline marginally as demand from rural and first-time buyers increases. Last year’s GST reduction on new cars, effective from the first day of Navratri, had affected the pre-owned market, he said. Dealers have also been building inventory ahead of the festivals, with Cars24 recording its highest sales to dealers in August and September.