Maruti Brezza has been dethroned from the No 1 spot in the list of India’s best selling SUV
2020 was an unprecedented year for the Indian auto industry. There were some initial signs of slowdown in the first quarter of the calendar year. However, things changed drastically due to the Covid-infused lockdowns from March-May. Multiple automakers sold almost negligible cars during the period.
However, once the restrictions were relaxed and supply related constraints were reduced, the auto industry saw strong double digit growths month over month in multiple segments. Here is a comparison of how some of the best selling SUVs fared in CY 2020 vs CY 2019.
Creta and Seltos Rule the Charts
Up until last year, it was the Brezza from Maruti which was ruling the charts in terms of SUV sales. However, in 2020, the new gen Hyundai Creta has become the best selling SUV of the country. Creta recorded sales of 96,989 units in CY 2020, though it did landed up recording a minor 2.7% decline in sales compared to last year.
The Seltos from Kia clinched the second spot in the table. The difference between overall sales numbers of Seltos and Creta is just 59 units, which further goes on to showcase how closely the two South Korean cousins are associated. Seltos registered growth of 113% in CY 2020. The growth numbers look astonishingly good as the Seltos was launched only in the second half of CY 2019 and hence had a low base. Both, Creta and Seltos had enviable market shares of 16.3% each.
Brezza losing Sheen, Venue coming in Close
In CY 2020, Brezza from Maruti recorded a massive 34% degrowth in its sales. The degrowth can possibly be attributed to lack of diesel engine option and the ever-increasing competition in the sub-4 metre compact SUV category.
On the other hand, the Venue from Hyundai recorded good 17% growth over last year and managed to sell 82,420 units in the CY 2020. The difference between overall sales of Brezza and Venue is barely around 1,200 units. If the trend continues, very soon we might see Brezza loosing its pole position in the sub-4 metre SUV category.
Mahindra’s Bolero, which has been around for almost 2 decades, managed to become the 5th best selling SUV in CY 2020. It registered overall sales of 55,447 units while maintaining a market share of around 9.3%.
Nexon from Tata Motors has been consistently doing well in the past few months. The SUV managed overall dealer dispatches of 48,483 units, just 469 units short of what it had sold in the previous calendar year.
Lookout For Sonet In 2021
Sonet from Kia too has had a good start as the model has been able to clock overall sales of 38,363 units in the past year. Sonet is one SUV to be watched in 2021, where it has the potential to register record sales.
Mahindra’s XUV 300 recorded a de-growth of around 20% and finished the year with a 8th spot on the table. Scorpio, which is due for a generation update in 2021, recorded contraction in sales by 33% and closed the year with a market share of 5.2%.The aging EcoSport also managed to enter the Top-10 SUV list despite a de-growth of 32%.
Overall, when comparing the sales of Top-10 SUVs of both Calendar Years, in CY 2020, the segment registered growth of .79%. However, considering the current trends, it seems that the OEMs will be able to clock strong growths, at least in H1’21.
