Hyundai is expected to launch Alcazar later this month while dispatch of the upcoming SUV has already been started to dealerships across the country
Mid-size SUVs have seen a revival of sorts in the past few years. However, the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic seemed to have adversely affected auto sales last month. Hence, SUVs in this space too had to bear the brunt. This is why, despite more offerings in the segment, SUV sales declined by 11 percent in May this year when compared to April 2021.
Tata Safari takes the lead
As against 6,936 units of SUVs sold in April this year, manufacturers were able to dispatch only 6,179 units last month. Out of these, Tata Safari accounted for the maximum sales of 1,536 units in May this year which is slightly above the previous month’s figures of 1,514 units, thus, resulting in MoM growth of 1 percent.
The surprise entry to the list was Hyundai’s latest offering Alcazar which hasn’t yet officially been launched in the country. The South Korean automaker has shipped 1,360 units of the 7-seater sibling of Creta to dealerships ahead of its launch which is expected to hit markets later this month.
Tata Harrier dispatch figures were same as that of Alcazar at 1,360 units in May 2021 against April’s 1,712 units sold. This translates to degrowth of 21 percent. Below is a detailed sales performance and market share report of the said SUVs and its rivals.
Compass, XUV500 register paltry figures
The 4th place was occupied by MG Hector twins, which accounted for 1,231 units of sales last month. The SUV saw a sizable drop from 2,147 units of sales volume registered in April this year. This resulted in a decline in MoM figures by 43 percent.
Jeep Compass too recorded a paltry volume of only 475 units during the month of May. In April 2021, Compass registered a sales volume of 846 units which turned out 44 percent lesser than the previous month.
The oldest SUV in the segment, Mahindra XUV500, is already nearing the end of its lifecycle which is why sales volume was as low as 217 units as compared to 717 units retailed in April this year. This translates to an 11 percent decline in MoM figures. Hopefully, with cases of Covid-19 infections gradually on decline, we expect sales to pick up soon after restrictions across the country in various states are eased to a certain extent.
Mahindra XUV700
This segment will see more offerings in future, prominently in the form of Mahindra XUV700 which is essentially a spiritual successor of XUV500. Launch of the seven-seater mid-size SUV is expected to take place by August or September this year. It will be offered with two engine options- a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel unit and a 2.0-litre mStallion turbo petrol motor. Transmission options will include a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox on both powertrain units.
