New Delhi, June 2 -- Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd sold 43,691 passenger vehicles in May, edging past Hyundai Motor India Ltd, which sold 38,030 cars, making it the third time in the first five months of the calendar year to emerge as the second largest car maker in India.

Meanwhile,Tata Motors Ltd's monthly sales recorded a 12.7% decline to 38,535, as both Hyundai and Tata continued to struggle against a surge in Mahindra's sport utility vehicle (SUV) sales, according to data from Vahan, the ministry of road transport and highways' vehicle registry.

To be sure, these numbers record the total registrations done by consumers across the country and don't account for wholesale dispatches to dealers.

Mahindra's wholesale dispatches during May ...