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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Honda Cars India (HCIL), a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has recorded total sales of 8,082 units in October 2026, supported by domestic dispatches of 7,609 units and export volumes of 473 units.

Domestic sales grew 19 percent YoY compared to 6,394 units recorded in October 2025. Export dispatches for the month stood at 473 units against 4,124 units exported in the corresponding month of the previous year.

The company attributed its domestic volume performance to demand for the updated Honda Elevate SUV alongside its existing passenger vehicle portfolio.

Kunal Behl, Vice-President of Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, "We are delighted with our strong sales performance in October, driven by robust festive demand and positive customer sentiment across our model line-up. The highlight of the month has been the outstanding performance of the New Honda Elevate, which has received an overwhelming response from customers following its recent launch. Its bold new styling, enhanced features and strong SUV appeal have translated into excellent market demand, making it a key contributor to our October sales momentum. The encouraging performance across our portfolio reinforces customer confidence in the Honda brand. We look forward to sustaining this positive momentum in the coming months."

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has registered total sales of 30,360 units in October 2026, comprising 29,521 units in domestic sales and 839 units in exports.

For the calendar year-to-date period of January to October 2026, the automaker reported cumulative sales of 325,274 units, marking a 3 percent increase compared to 315,716 units recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Domestic sales during the 10-month period expanded 4 percent to 299,140 units, up from 287,338 units in 2025. Exports for the January to October 2026 period stood at 26,134 units compared to 28,378 units in 2025. The company noted initial customer response following the recent launch of the updated Toyota Glanza.

Sabari Manohar, Executive Vice-President of Sales-Service-Used Car Business, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, "The festive season has continued to generate encouraging customer interest across markets, reflecting the trust in Toyota's products and services. While market conditions continue to evolve, our focus remains firmly on creating value for customers through a diverse product portfolio, enhanced ownership experiences and customer-centric initiatives. We share the joy of festivities with our customers and dealer partners, whose continued confidence in the Toyota brand motivates us to further strengthen our efforts towards delivering reliable, sustainable and accessible mobility solutions."

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, attains its highest-ever monthly sales volume in October 2026, delivering 276,120 units across domestic and export markets. The total sales expanded from 220,894 units recorded in October 2025.

Domestic vehicle dispatches reached an all-time high of 216,789 units for the month, compared to 180,675 units in the corresponding period of the previous year. Passenger car dispatches across the mini, compact and mid-size sub-segments – comprising the Alto, Baleno, Celerio, Ciaz, Dzire, Ignis, S-Presso, Swift, and WagonR – rose to 100,877 units from 85,210 units in October 2025.

SUV dispatches, including the Brezza, Ertiga, e Vitara, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Invicto, Jimny, Victoris and XL6, reached 97,787 units against 77,571 units in the previous year. Sales of the Eeco van accounted for 13,720 units, while Super Carry light commercial vehicle dispatches stood at 4,405 units.

Sales to other original equipment manufacturers (OEM) (Toyota Kirloskar Motor) reached 9,459 units in October 2026, up from 8,915 units in October 2025. Export volumes grew to 49,872 units from 31,304 units recorded in the same month last year.

For the cumulative April to October period of FY 2026-27, Maruti Suzuki reported total sales of 1.65 million units, compared to 1.29 million units in the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

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Kia India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, recorded its highest-ever monthly wholesales since entering the Indian market, delivering 33,462 units in October 2026.

This marks a 13.22 percent YoY growth compared to 29,556 units sold in October 2025, surpassing its previous monthly record of 32,017 units set in September 2026.

Interestingly, cumulative wholesales for the company reached 286,470 units between January and October 2026, marking a 21.31 percent increase over the corresponding period in 2025 and exceeding full-year CY2025 sales of 280,286 units.

The Seltos recorded dispatches of over 13,000 units during the month, maintaining an average monthly dispatch above 10,000 units since its update in January 2026. The Sonet, Carens, Carens Clavis and Sorento variants further supported monthly totals.

Electric vehicle dispatches, consisting of the Syros EV and Carens Clavis EV, expanded 31 percent MoM, while CNG models accounted for approximately 10 percent of overall sales in October.

At present, Kia India operates a network of 925 touchpoints across 438 cities, alongside 144 pre-owned vehicle outlets.

Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, Kia India, said, "Surpassing our previous monthly sales record within just a month to achieve our highest-ever sales of 33,462 units in October reflects the growing trust customers place in Kia and the strength of our products. We were able to ride the positive festive demand momentum, supported by the strong performance of our established models and the encouraging response to our newer offerings, driving the overall growth. The Kia Sorento has received an encouraging market response, with customers appreciating its advanced technology, sophisticated features and the fuel efficiency offered by its Hybrid powertrain. The contribution of our CNG models to overall sales, alongside our highest-ever monthly EV sales, further demonstrates that our multi-powertrain strategy is translating into tangible results. This reinforces our commitment to offering differentiated products and powertrain choices that respond to the diverse mobility needs of Indian customers."

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