SUVs continue their dominant streak as the vehicle of choice across demographics. They have come to account for a 43 percent year-on-year traffic increase across all sub-segments, according to a statement by CarDekho.com.  
Released with an eye on the festive season of 2024, the statement takes a look at the pre-festive season traffic trends across various sub-segments of the four-wheel passenger vehicle industry during the period April-September. 
With SUVs dominating, the statement reads that 58 models are available in the respective segment. Stating that more models are scheduled to be launched in FY2024-25, it underlines the broad range of fuel and engine type combinations, catering to diverse consumer needs and providing tailored options to suit varying preferences.
In the April-September 2024 period, the mass SUV segment led the growth in the automotive market, registering a strong 43 percent year-over-year (YoY) increase in traffic. Its contribution to overall traffic on the platform rose from 50 percent to 63 percent, making it the most dominant body type. 
While all SUV sub-segments displayed significant growth, the compact SUVs (sub-four-metre) sub-segment led the charge in the SUV segment with 37 percent year-on-year growth, increasing their traffic contribution from 32 percent to 38 percent. 
Interesting is the rise in prices of hatchbacks in the Indian market with their average selling price getting close to the average selling price of SUVs. 
This is said to be one of the factors that is leading to a switch to SUVs. With executive SUVs witnessing the highest growth within the SUV category at 47 percent year-on-year increase (their share is rising from 15 percent to 19 percent respectively), the demand for SUVs is expected to rise steadily over the short and mid-term as existing as well as new infrastructure quality continues to be a matter of concern. The quality of infrastructure looks inversely proportional to the rise in toll tax ironically across highways and city roads. 
The midsize SUV sub-segment also performed well with a 31 percent year-on-year increase, as per the CarDekho.com statement.

Mass hatchback segment
In the mass hatchback segment, traffic grew by 28 percent year-on-year, driven largely by premium hatchbacks that make up 86 percent of the total traffic in the respective category. 
Premium hatchbacks experienced a 31 percent year-on-year growth, while mini hatchbacks grew by 20 percent. The micro hatchbacks saw a 22 percent decline in traffic (this includes cars like the Marut Alto).
With a shift in consumer interest away from smaller, ultra-compact vehicles evident, it is the SUVs that seem to benefit from rather than sedans. 
The sedans showed the lowest growth among all body types with an 18 percent year-on-year increase, maintaining a consistent 15 percent share of overall traffic. Despite this, the premium sedan segment saw a significant 65 percent year-on-year growth even though it is driven by just one model. The sub-segment’s contribution remains at only one percent of total site traffic.
“The continued growth of the SUV segment reflects a strong and evolving consumer preference within the automotive industry. SUVs have become the vehicle of choice for a wide range of buyers due to their versatility, enhanced driving comfort, and ability to meet the diverse needs of Indian consumers. Compact SUVs, in particular, have gained significant traction, offering the perfect combination of practicality and performance. As we see this segment expand, it's driving healthy competition, promoting innovation, and ultimately offering a wider range of choices to the Indian consumer. This surge signals a maturing market where consumers are increasingly discerning, pushing the industry to elevate its game across design, features, and value proposition,” said Mayank Jain, CEO, New Auto (CarDekho Group).

Luxury autos
On the luxury brand side, the CarDekho.com statement reads, that traffic rose by 17 percent year-on-year across all model pages. Although luxury vehicles continue to garner interest, their share of total traffic remains relatively low compared to mass market segments, it mentioned.

Image for representative purpose only
 

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Kia India recorded wholesale dispatches of 28,200 units in July 2026, marking a 27.4 percent increase compared to 22,135 units sold last year.

Interestingly, last month the automaker clocked its highest July wholesale volume since commencing operations in India.

The company attributed the sales performance to the Seltos and Sonet SUVs. The Seltos has maintained monthly dispatch averages above 10,000 units since January, with year-to-date growth standing at 75.7 percent. On the other hand, Sonet saw its sales rise 34.5 percent for YTD CY2026.

Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President – Sales & Marketing, Kia India, said, “Our best-ever July wholesale performance reflects the continued trust of our customers and the strong acceptance of Kia's diverse product portfolio. Building on our record H1 performance, we have maintained healthy momentum across key segments. Led by the strong performance of the Seltos and Sonet, we have seen healthy demand across Carens Clavis and MY26 Syros. Meanwhile, the Carens Clavis EV continues to strengthen our presence in the electric mobility space. We are delighted by the customer response to the newly launched Syros EV. Its segment-leading range, advanced technology, industry-leading ownership benefits and expanding EV ecosystem reflect our commitment to delivering practical and future-ready mobility solutions for Indian customers. We remain focused on strengthening our product portfolio and enhancing the ownership experience as we continue our growth journey.”

In the electric vehicle segment, Kia India recently introduced the Syros EV, featuring an ARAI-certified range of 526 km, 171 PS power output, Level 2 autonomous driver assistance systems with 16 functions and a 39-minute fast-charging capability from 10 to 80 percent. The model joins the Carens Clavis EV in Kia's electric lineup.

At present, the company operates a retail and service network comprising 905 touchpoints across 412 cities in India, supported by 135 Certified Pre-Owned vehicle outlets.

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Honda Cars India (HCIL), a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced its wholesale sales of 8,284 units for July 2026, up 10 percent YoY, as compared to 7,524 units sold last year.

In the domestic market, the company sold 6,014 units, up 48 percent YoY, as compared to 4,050 units last year. Exports came at 2,270 units, a decline of 35 percent YoY, as compared to 3,473 units.

Kunal Behl, Vice-President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, “Our sales performance with over 48 percent growth in domestic sales in July’ 26 reflects the positive momentum we are building across our portfolio. The encouraging response to the recently introduced new City and the launch of the Honda ZR-V has further strengthened customer interest in the brand, while Honda Elevate and Honda Amaze continue to deliver robust sales backed by their strong value proposition and customer trust. With the onset of the festive season, we are confident that our strengthened portfolio and customer-focused initiatives will help us sustain this momentum in the months ahead.”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has reported its wholesales for July 2026, selling 241,421 units, marking a 34 percent YoY growth, as compared to 180,526 units sold last year.

In the domestic market, the company sold 196,203 passenger vehicles, up 42 percent YoY, as compared to 137,776 units last year. Commercial vehicle sales came at 3,920 units, as compared to 2,794 units.

Sales to other OEMs (Toyota Kirloskar Motor) came at 11,242 units, up 37 percent YoY, as compared to 8,211 units.

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced its wholesale sales for July 2026.

The company sold 29,159 units in the domestic market, marking a 5 percent YoY growth, as compared to 29,159 units sold last year.

Sabari Manohar, Executive Vice-President, Sales-Service-Used Car Business, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “We registered a steady performance in July, reflecting sustained customer confidence in the Toyota brand. The result underscores our continued focus on delivering reliable, innovative and customer-centric mobility solutions. A key highlight during the month was the launch of the all-new Toyota Hilux, which further strengthens our SUV portfolio in India and reflects our commitment to offering aspirational, future-ready mobility solutions that cater to evolving customer needs. We remain focused on creating greater value for our customers and stakeholders.”

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