The mid-SUV segment in India grew by nearly 33% in September 2020 YoY
The new Hyundai Creta was launched just a few days before India went into a nationwide lockdown. It is safe to say that the timing couldn’t have been worse for one of the most eagerly anticipated models of the year. However, the crossover’s sales performance last month indicates that things are very well on track.
Creta, Seltos Dominate
Last month, the radical looking mid-premium crossover Creta managed to clock an impressive dispatch figure of 12,325 units, making it not only the best selling Hyundai but also the best selling SUV in the country, and that too by quite a margin. Hyundai Creta has been playing a huge role in making this segment one of the hottest in the country.
New Hyundai Creta‘s sales success does not come at the cost of its sibling which had been dominating the segment before. The Kia Seltos which shares its platform with the Creta continues its strong run in India, registered sales of 9,079 units, at a YoY growth of 17%. Together, the South Korean crossovers account for nearly 65% of the mid-size SUV segment.
SUV sales in India
Despite being awfully close to the end of its life cycle, the Mahindra Scorpio continues to be popular among SUV enthusiasts. The ladder frame SUV managed a tally of 3,527 units last month which represented a marginal YoY decline of 2%. It finished in third spot.
The MG Hector showed a negative YoY growth of 8% at 2,410 units but this could be down to supply chain constraints. MG Motor is having some order backlogs to cater to in the coming months. This is the first time since launch, Hector has posted sales decline.
Maruti S-Cross’s new petrol engine seem to have stuck a chord with customers as the soft roader registered an impressive YoY growth of over 100% to take the fifth place on the chart with 2,098 units. S-Cross has posted the highest increase in sales as compared to any other SUV in the table.
Tata Harrier Posts Highest Sales in 16 Months
The consistent array of upgrades seems to be working in favour of Tata Motors’ current flagship, the Harrier. The crossover registered a YoY growth of 86% last month to post sales of 1,755 units. This is the highest sales registered by Harrier since May 2019, when it sold 1,779 units. With a petrol engine option coming up, the Harrier could finally take its fight to the popular Hector in the near future.
The Mahindra XUV500 is not taking the end-of-life-cycle phase nearly as well as its sibling. The crossover witnessed its sales dip by 47% to just 595 units. The next generation version can’t come soon enough. It’s direct rival Jeep Compass registered sales of 554 units at 8% decline. The VW T-ROC which is placed in the premium end of the pricing spectrum found 233 takers.
The Renault Duster continued its abysmal performance (133 units) despite the introducing of a new 1.3-liter turbocharged petrol engine which made it the most powerful model in its segment. The also-ran brigade includes MG eZS (127 units), Nissan Kicks (58 units) and Hyundai Kona (29 units). Also read – Small SUV Sales Sep 2020 – Kia Sonet No 1.
