SUVS Account For A 43% Y-O-Y Traffic Increase Across All Sub-Segments
- By MT Bureau
- October 29, 2024
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
Stellantis-owned French auto brand Citroen India and Milo Drive have signed an MoU to deploy 500 units of the Citroen e-C3 electric car.
Milo Drive operates ‘Fleet OS’, a platform that supports driver entrepreneurs and local fleet operators in managing cars across ride-hailing, travel and corporate mobility platforms.
The collaboration combines Citroen’s engineering with Milo Drive’s technology, which includes demand routing, utilisation analytics and driver performance tech. This is designed to create a scalable ecosystem.
Shishir Mishra, Business Head & Director - Strategic Partnerships & Institutional Business, Stellantis India, said, “Scaling electric mobility in India requires strong, future-ready partnerships, and our collaboration with Milo Drive reflects exactly that. The Citroen e-C3 offers the ideal balance of range, comfort and operating efficiency making it a proven performer for shared mobility. Together, we are enabling EV access at scale and contributing meaningfully to India’s transition toward a low-carbon mobility ecosystem.”
Monil Jayeshkumar Khatri, Co-Founder, Milo Drive, said, “With Citroen, we’re blending affordability with intelligence. Their support extends beyond vehicles to real-time battery insights and performance data; helping us further enable hundreds of entrepreneurs to build and run their own mobility businesses through Milo Drive’s tech platform. This collaboration is a significant milestone in our journey to electrify India’s urban mobility landscapes.”
Spinny Expands North India Footprint with New Car Parks
- By MT Bureau
- November 20, 2025
Spinny, a used car retail platform, has opened new car parks in Sonipat, Karnal and Ambala, increasing its presence in North India. The expansion gives customers in these cities and surrounding regions access to the company’s collection of inspected used cars.
The new car parks are located along the GT Road corridor, improving regional accessibility for customers across the North region.
The new parks function as single destinations where customers can explore, test drive, buy, or sell cars. The expansion aims to serve growing demand for pre-owned vehicles along this corridor, complementing Spinny’s customer base in Delhi NCR and Chandigarh.
Hanish Yadav, Senior Vice-President, Spinny, said, “With our new parks in Sonipat, Karnal and Amabala, we’re excited to bring Spinny’s trusted car experience closer to our customers. These parks not only expand our reach but also make it easier for customers to explore our 200-point inspected cars in person. At Spinny, we’re committed to making every step of buying or selling a car transparent, comfortable, and filled with joy.”
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Launches Winter Carnival Service Campaign In North India
- By MT Bureau
- November 20, 2025
Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has launched its ‘Winter Carnival – Service Campaign’ across all authorised Toyota dealerships in Northern India. The campaign runs from November to December 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance customer satisfaction by offering value on services, treatments and genuine accessories during the winter period.
Under the service campaign, the automaker is providing a complimentary 20-point vehicle safety and health check-up, which includes inspection of tyres, batteries, rubber components, lights and fog lamps to ensure performance during winter. Special value packages and offers on essential service parts replacement. Deals on accessories and gifts with the purchase of TGLOSS treatments to keep customer vehicles looking new.
The campaign covers the NCR (National Capital Region), Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Sabari Manohar, Vice-President & Chief Representative – North Region, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “With our Customer-First philosophy, we remain committed to delivering best-in-class service experiences to our valued customers. Drawing from customer insights, we have curated the Awesome Winter Carnival Campaign, featuring customized service value packages designed to keep our customers’ vehicles winter-ready. We are confident that this initiative will further enhance ownership satisfaction and strengthen the joy of driving a Toyota vehicle.”
Maruti Suzuki India Opens 1,500th Parts & Accessories Distributorship In Mumbai
- By MT Bureau
- November 20, 2025
Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has inaugurated its 1,500th Parts and Accessories distributor touchpoint in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The new facility was inaugurated by S D Chhabra, Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India and Kohsuke Hattori, Executive Vice-President - Parts, Accessories and Logistics, Maruti Suzuki India.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Nothing gives customers greater peace of mind than the confidence that they can easily access company-tested and certified parts and accessories nearby. These genuine parts and accessories help maintain performance, safety, and longevity of the vehicle, one of the key reasons why customers continue to choose Maruti Suzuki. To further strengthen this trust, we are expanding our parts and accessories distribution network beyond our already widespread sales and service footprint.”
The automaker’s genuine parts and accessories network plays an important role in the company’s customer-focused ecosystem, complementing its extensive sales and service footprint across India.
It’s network is operated by authorised distributors, comprising warehouses and retail outlets, which are strategically located to provide easy access to genuine, high-quality parts and accessories across the Maruti Suzuki vehicle range.
These touchpoints primarily cater to smaller independent workshops and mechanics.
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