Creta, Seltos vs rest: The uneven rivalry in compact SUV segment continues
Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos continue to dominate sales in the compact SUV segment in India. In September, Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta held on their own to remain the leaders in the segment. However, the rest of SUVs in the segment, are far behind these two vehicles in terms of sales, and provides an opportunity for the latest entrant MG Astor to cash in.
Against expectations, Kia Seltos emerged as the best-selling car in the compact SUV segment in September. With 9,583 units sold last month, Kia’s flagship SUV in India grew marginally compared to 9,079 units sold during the same month last year.
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Hyundai Crtea, which had held the crown for months since its launch in February last year, saw a sharp dip in sales last month. Hyundai sold only 8,193 units of Creta, down from 12,325 units sold in September last year, almost 35 per cent decline year-on-year.
Creta’s dip in sales is largely attributed to long waiting periods coupled with the chip shortage crisis. Compared to Creta, Seltos scored due to shorter waiting period, and managed to pip the Korean rival for the first time in several months.
Among the rest, Tata Harrier emerged as the third best-selling option in the segment. Tata Motors sold 2,821 units of Harrier in September, up from 1,755 units during the same month in 2020. It is a massive 61 per cent increase in sales compared year-on-year, but not enough for the SUV to throw a challenge to the segment leaders yet.
On Monday, MG launched the Astor SUV at a starting price of ₹9.78 lakh (ex showroom, introductory). It is the carmaker’s fifth launch in India after the Hector, Hector Plus, Gloster and ZS EV. It is also the first car in the segment to be offered with artificial intelligence (AI) to help incorporate a number of enhanced drive and safety features.
MG Motor’s entry in the segment may spice up things going forward. Loaded with tech and priced aggressively, MG Astor is a feature-rich option and the most affordable SUV in the compact SUV segment. However, it remains to be seen whether Astor SUV can put a dent to Creta and Seltos SUVs' dominance in coming days
