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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Maruti Suzuki India has been awarded a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating for its e Vitara, marking a moment for the company's electric vehicle strategy.

The e Vitara is built on Suzuki’s Heartect-e platform designed for electric vehicles to deliver strength, structural rigidity and advanced high voltage protection. The ‘Made-in-India, Made-for-the-World’ e Vitara is designed and tested for temperature conditions across the world, ensuring performance from as high as 60deg Celsius to as low as -30deg Celsius. The model is offered with 49 kWh and 61 kWh battery options.

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, said, “Congratulations to Maruti Suzuki for achieving 5-star Bharat NCAP in both adult and child occupant protection for their e Vitara. I am especially glad that Maruti Suzuki has shown real leadership in providing 7 airbags as a standard across all variants of the e Vitara.”

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The 5-star Bharat NCAP rating for e Vitara, our first Battery Electric Vehicle, is a moment of immense pride for all of us at Maruti Suzuki. Using the Bharat NCAP 5-star rating, we will export the e Vitara to more than 100 countries of the world. Bharat NCAP’s globally benchmarked stringent vehicle test protocols have been a catalyst in empowering customers to make informed decisions. I thank the Minister Gadkari, the officials in his Ministry and test agencies for their rigorous efforts and commitment in shaping India’s journey towards safe mobility.”

The e VITARA’s body structure uses more than 60 percent ultra-high tensile and high-tensile strength steel. Its battery protection system incorporates a structural design with an energy-absorbing battery pack mounting structure.

Key safety features include 7 standard airbags (including the Driver's knee airbag), Level 2 ADAS (Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control), Hill Hold Control, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and a 360-degree Surround View Camera.

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Mahindra has marked a major milestone in its nationwide electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure expansion with the inauguration of its first dealership-based ultrafast charger – a 180 kW Charge_IN station.

This is the first of many such installations planned across Mahindra dealerships, forming a key pillar of the company’s commitment to building India’s ultrafast charging network.

This initiative scales up Mahindra’s Charge_IN ecosystem, complementing the 250 highway fast-charging stations already announced. The new 180 kW ultrafast chargers will enable EV users to charge quickly and conveniently at strategically located dealerships across the country, with 24x7 on-ground support.

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Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has reported wholesales of 66,840 units in November 2025, up 9.1 percent YoY as against 61,252 units last year.

This includes domestic sales of 50,340 units, up 4 percent YoY and exports of 16,500 units, up 27 percent YoY.

Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director & Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India, said, “Supported by GST 2.0 reforms, we continue to carry forward sales momentum with a year-on-year growth in our monthly domestic sales in November 2025. Further, our commitment to bolstering India’s role as a global manufacturing hub is further solidified with 26.9% year-on-year growth in monthly exports.”

He further added that the all-new Hyundai Venue SUV, the company's first software-defined vehicle in India, has received more than 32,000 bookings within a month of its launch. The new Venue features ccNC infotainment powered by Nvidia.

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has announced its wholesales for November 2025, reporting total sales of 33,752 units, up 28 percent YoY.

This includes 30,085 units sold in the domestic market and 3,667 units exported.

Varinder Wadhwa, Vice-President, Sales–Service–Used Car Business, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “Following a positive festive season supported by the government’s progressive GST reforms, we continue to witness a strong momentum, with a growth of 19 percent. The recent introduction of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder Aero Edition and Fortuner Leader Edition has also continued to help us reinforce this growth trajectory, receiving recognition across the country. The innovative initiatives such as the Drum Tao and the launch of the toyota experiential museum (tem) in Bangalore, have been highly appreciated, further strengthening customer engagement and brand connect.”

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