Do Indians prefer small SUVs over big ones? Punch, Nexon, Brezza prove a point
- Tata Punch emerged as India's best-selling SUV in the first six months of the year.
- Among top five SUVs during this period also included Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Tata Nexon.
Are Indian SUV buyers more keen on smaller models than the larger vehicles? The best-selling SUVs in the first half of the year tell a story that hints bigger is not always better. Among the top five SUVs sold in India in the first six months this year are three models that belong to the sub-four metre category. Tata Punch has emerged as the leader in the SUV segment as well as the best-selling car in the country during this period. Here is a quick look at the five SUVs that dominated the sales chart between January and June.
Engine
1,299 ccFuel Type
PetrolTransmission
AutomaticThe smallest SUV from the Tata Motors stable does indeed pack a punch above its weight when it comes to sales. The Punch, which is offered in three different powertrains including pure ICE, electric and CNG, is currently the most popular car in the Indian market. It is the only model to breach one lakh sales milestone within the first six months of the year, beating even some of the fancier rivals as well as much smaller and affordable cars. The SUV clocked a massive 64 per cent jump in sales compared to the same period last year. Since then, the Punch added its EV and CNG avatars which also helped to boost sales later.
The compact size of the Punch SUV is one of the reasons behind its recent success. The wide range of powertrain also offer a lot of options for car buyers to choose from. Its price, which starts from ₹6.13 lakh (ex-showroom), is among the least one needs to pay to drive home an SUV in India.
Engine
1,482 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
AutomaticThe Korean auto giant's flagship model would walk into the hall of evergreen SUVs if there was one. Since the launch of its new generation in January this year, it has already sold over a lakh units till July. In the first six months, it remained India's second most preferred SUV with 91,348 units sold at a growth rate of 11 per cent compared to January-June phase in 2023. It has remained Hyundai's best-selling car over the past several months and has remained the leader in the compact SUV segment.
Hyundai currently offers the SUV in standard and N-Line versions in India. It also plans to introduce the electric version of the SUV in coming years. What works for Creta is the brand value of Hyundai Motor. The SUV in its latest avatar also comes packed with a long list of features which includes almost every creature comfort one can think of. Priced from ₹11 lakh, Creta also offers the opportunity to customers to graduate from smaller cars.
Engine
1,462 ccFuel Type
PetrolTransmission
AutomaticIndia's largest carmaker's push to go big on SUVs has been largely successful due to the popularity of Brezza. First launched in India as Vitara Brezza, the SUV was recently introduced in its current generation with the Vitara moniker removed. It is currently the best-selling SUV in the sub-compact SUV segment and is not too far behind Creta in terms of sales. Between January and June this year, Maruti could sell 90,153 units of the SUV with a growth rate of 10 per cent. It finished June placed third on this list.
What works for Brezza is the branding of India's largest carmaker and the SUV's legacy for the past eight years since its debut. Offered in petrol and CNG avatars, the Brezza also offers wide choice of powertrain too. The price, which starts from ₹8.34 lakh (ex-showroom), is higher than some of its rivals. Despite that, Maruti has been able to sell more Brezzas than most of its rivals, showing the popularity of the SUV.
Engine
1,997 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
AutomaticThe return of the Scorpio brand in a new avatar with the Scorpio-N and Scorpio Classic SUVs has been one of the most remarkable revival stories of popular car models in India. The bulky SUV has been able to turn around its sales after a grand makeover as it continues to witness surge in sales month on month. In the first half of the year, Mahindra could sell 85,326 units of the SUV which is a staggering jump of 64 per cent compared to the first six months of 2023.
Engine
1,199 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
AutomaticThe flagship SUV from Tata Motors once dominated Indian car sales chart like Punch does now. Despite a major facelift during the festive season in 2023, Nexon's sales has moderated in the past few months as it slipped behind its key rival Brezza. Tata saw Nexon's sales drop by around eight per cent during the first six months of the year during which 80,326 customers drove home in one.
The popularity of Nexon picked up after the carmaker introduced the EV version of the SUV along side the ICE variants. Nexon as a model brand is the first in India which offered petrol, diesel and EV powertrain at the same time. What works for Punch also works for Nexon to drive its popularity among Indian buyers. It's starting price of ₹8 lakh (ex-showroom) also helps to keep a check on the budget in a price-sensitive market.
Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2025, Best SUVs in India.
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