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, one of the leading carmakers in the country, has announced its wholesales for December 2025, selling 18,659 units, which marked a 105 percent YoY growth, as against 8,957 units sold last year.

The company attributed the performance on the back of its strong customer focus, along with improved consumer sentiments.

For CY2025, the wholesales came at 280,286 units, up 15 percent YoY, as against 245,000 units sold last year.

Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President Sales & Marketing, Kia India, said, “2025 was a year of consistent and sustainable growth for Kia India, driven by strategic product introductions like the Carens Clavis and Carens Clavis EV, trim optimization across key mass-selling models including the Seltos, Carens and Sonet; operational efficiencies, and continuous improvements across sales, service, and customer engagement. Supported by favourable macroeconomic conditions and government policies, including a consumer-friendly GST framework, these initiatives reinforced positive consumer sentiment.” He further added, “Looking ahead to 2026, Kia India remains focused on delivering value-led offerings and strengthening the brand ownership experience across its product portfolio to drive steady, sustainable growth in a dynamic market environment.”

During the year, the Sonet SUV crossed the 100,000-unit sales milestone for the second consecutive year.

The automaker has also expanded its network with a total of 821 touchpoints now live across 369 cities.

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kerala Grameena Bank to establish a vehicle financing partnership.

The agreement is designed to provide retail finance for new cars, pre-owned vehicles and commercial models. This collaboration aims to offer credit options to a wider customer base across Kerala, specifically targeting rural and semi-urban demographics.

The partnership integrates Maruti Suzuki’s dealership network with the bank's regional presence to provide finance solutions across the manufacturer's entire model range. The agreement seeks to assist first-time buyers and entrepreneurs by offering loan products for personal and commercial mobility.

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Our tie-up with Kerala Grameena Bank is an alliance which underscores our dedication to making car ownership simpler and more affordable for Indian customers. The Kerala market has a strong affection towards Maruti Suzuki vehicles and this strategic partnership will provide our customers with competitive, customer friendly financing options that improve the overall car buying experience. We stay committed to always delivering a wider range of customised finance solutions with a seamless customer journey.”

Vimala Vijaybhaskar, Chairperson, Kerala Grameena Bank, said, “We are pleased to partner with Maruti Suzuki India Limited to expand our retail car financing network across Kerala. By combining Maruti Suzuki’s strong dealership network with Kerala Grameena Bank’s deep grassroots presence, we will offer convenient, affordable, and digitally enabled car loan solutions to customers, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. This collaboration will help us reach first-time car buyers and small entrepreneurs, improve access to personal mobility, and support economic activity across the state, while reaffirming our commitment to inclusive and customer-centric banking.”

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has launched its dedicated commercial mobility range – the Prime HB (hatchback) and Prime SD (sedan).

These models, the company said, are designed for fleet operators and taxi entrepreneurs, focusing on maintenance costs and fuel efficiency. Bookings have opened at Hyundai dealerships across India for a fee of INR 5,000.

The Prime range is powered by a 1.2L Kappa 4-cylinder engine available in petrol and CNG variants. The Prime SD delivers a claimed fuel efficiency of 28.40 km/kg, while the Prime HB achieves 27.32 km/kg. To comply with commercial regulations, the vehicles include a factory-fitted speed limiting function set to 80 kmph. Safety features provided as standard include six airbags, three-point seatbelts and rear parking sensors.

Interior specifications for the range include rear AC vents, steering wheel mounted audio controls and power windows. Hyundai Motor India is also offering an optional 9-inch infotainment system with a rear camera and a vehicle location tracking device equipped with four panic buttons. The Prime HB is priced from INR 599,900 and the Prime SD starts at INR 689,900.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director & CEO designate, Hyundai Motor India, said, “With the introduction of Prime HB and Prime SD, HMIL is proud to enter the commercial mobility space with products that are engineered for trust, reliability and good earning potential. Fleet operators and taxi drivers look for vehicles that deliver maximum uptime, predictable maintenance and low operating costs, and the Hyundai Prime range has been developed precisely with these priorities in mind. Backed by Hyundai’s extensive service network, attractive warranty, maintenance packages, low cost of ownership and flexible finance solutions, Prime HB and Prime SD will enable our commercial customers to enhance earnings while offering safe and comfortable mobility to passengers. This marks an important step in extending Hyundai’s promise of hassle-free ownership to the commercial segment as well.”

To support commercial ownership, Hyundai has introduced an extended warranty covering the fourth and fifth years or 180,000 km. The company estimates maintenance costs at INR 0.47 per kilometre. Finance options are available with repayment tenures extending up to 72 months to assist fleet expansion and first-time buyers.

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JSW MG Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has launched an initiative extending its assured buy-back programme for electric vehicles (EVs) from three years to up to five years. This makes JSW MG Motor India to becomethe first OEM in the country to offer a guaranteed resale value for this duration in the mass EV segment.

The programme operates independently of any finance or loan schemes, allowing owners to choose a tenure of three, four, or five years. Under the existing three-year plan, the company guarantees a 60 percent buy-back value. For the first time in India, commercial MG ZS EV owners are also eligible for resale benefits on vehicles up to three years old or with an annual mileage of up to 60,000 km.

The MG Value Promise Program is facilitated by Lockton India Insurance Broking and Advisory in partnership with Zuno General Insurance. The initiative is designed to reduce depreciation risk and provide financial predictability for customers. At the end of the selected term, owners have the option to retain, return, or exchange their vehicle for a newer model.

Anurag Mehrotra, Managing Director, JSW MG Motor India, said, “As a customer-centric brand, MG has always introduced initiatives like B-a-a-S (Battery-as-a-service), lifetime warranty on EV batteries that make EV ownership a delightful mobility experience. Resale value has been a key consideration for many customers who are considering buying an EV. With our industry-first MG Value Promise Program (Assured Buyback), facilitated by Lockton India Insurance Broking and Advisory Ltd in partnership with Zuno General Insurance, we want to give MG EV owners complete peace of mind as we now offer a Assured resale value where a customer has option to choose the tenure from 3 to 5 years. We believe this initiative will play a key role in expanding India’s EV market by eliminating a major concern for buyers and building stronger trust in electric mobility.”

Shanai Ghosh, MD & CEO, Zuno General Insurance, said, “As a digital insurer, this partnership strengthens our vision of building a strong, future-ready EV insurance portfolio. Electric mobility is reshaping how India moves, and we’re excited to support that shift with solutions that stay true to Zuno’s promise of easy, friendly, and transparent. Our collaboration with JSW MG Motor India reinforces our commitment to making EV ownership simpler and more secure for customers.”

Dr Sandeep Dadia, CEO & Country Head, Lockton India, said, “As EV adoption accelerates, customers increasingly seek clarity and confidence around long-term ownership. MG EVs are known for its true-to-range offerings with highest resale value and through our participation in MG’s extended Assured Buy Back Program, we’ve focused on shaping a solution that provides predictable value in a simple and transparent way. Initiatives like this empower customers to plan their EV journey with greater certainty and strengthen overall trust in India’s rapidly evolving electric mobility ecosystem."

The expansion of buy-back solutions aims to address consumer concerns regarding the residual value of battery-powered vehicles. By providing a fixed exit price, the company intends to lower adoption barriers and support the transition to electric mobility as infrastructure and technology continue to evolve.

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