Top Selling SUV cars in India - Maruti Vitara Brezza to Toyota Fortuner

The growing popularity of the SUV segment is a prominent trend in the Indian automobile car market. Many SUV models from different price brackets are sold in big volume. Car brands, therefore, won’t let this opportunity slide away. In fact, most car brands in the market are rushing towards this segment. In the past few years, we have seen various new launches in the SUV space. These newly-launched SUVs are pushing the competition within the SUV segment upwards, which is reflected through the ups and downs of each SUV model in the sales chart. Still, some models are quite successful in remaining a stable share in the market over time, despite the arrivals of many newer and more attractive offers. Such consistent sales performance can tell a lot about the true value of these models. If you are looking for a safe SUV choice, here is the list of the Top Selling SUV cars in India in 2021. 

Top Selling SUV cars in India- Sub-four-meter segment

To start off, we will look through the top best-selling sub-four-meter compact SUV segment. This space gathers the most affordable SUVs in the market. With entry-level pricing, the sub-four-meter SUV segment is very popular among Indian buyers who prefer affordable, value-for-money products. It should be noted that the majority of the vehicles on the top 10 best-selling SUV models come from this sub-compact segment. Below are the names of the five best selling sub-four-meter SUVs in India.

Maruti Vitara Brezza

Even though Maruti does not put a strong focus on the SUV segment, it still holds a big chunk of market share with its segment-leading sub-4-meter SUV, Maruti Brezza. The Brezza ticks every box to become a successful model in our country, from a refined engine, a roomy cabin, excellent ride quality to affordable prices. In February 2021, Maruti Brezza is named the second-best-selling SUV in India with a total sales volume of 11.224 units.

Under the hood, the Brezza is now available with one petrol engine option which is the 1.5-litre petrol unit. This single petrol engine is capable of making 105 PS and 138 Nm. There are two engine options, a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed AT gearbox.

Previously, the Brezza was a diesel-only SUV. However, due to the BSVI emission norms, Maruti has discontinued the whole diesel-powered range. It is still possible that Maruti will bring back the diesel engine when the new-gen Brezza hits the market later this year.

Hyundai Venue

The second model in our list of Top Selling SUV cars in India in the sub-compact market is the Hyundai Venue. This model made its debut in 2019. The new SUV from Hyundai became a runaway success for the South Korean car brand, which comes as no surprise since Hyundai has already experienced success with the Creta before. Hyundai Venue is an all-rounder with an attractive design, a fully-loaded feature list and good build quality. In February 2021, the sub-compact SUV from Hyundai registered a total sales of 11,224 units, which is lower than the Maruti Brezza by a small margin.

The Venue is available with a wide range of powertrain options. There are three engine choices. Unlike the Brezza, the Hyundai Venue is available with both petrol and diesel powertrains. All the engine options of the Venue are a 1.2-litre petrol (83PS/114Nm), a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol (120PS/171Nm), and a 1.5-litre diesel engine (100PS/240Nm). The N.A petrol engine is mated exclusively to a 5-speed MT. The 6-speed manual gearbox is available on both the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. Only the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine gets the automatic option that is a 7-speed DCT. Moreover, there is also a 6-speed iMT option for the turbocharged unit.

Kia Sonet

Launched in September last year, Kia Sonet has become quite a force to be reckoned with in the sub-compact SUV segment. The Sonet is basically the sibling of the Hyundai Venue. Hence, the Kia Sonet also shares various mechanical parts with the Hyundai Venue. The Sonet carries forward the set of engine options from the Venue. However, the 1.0-litre turbocharged unit is available with 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT options and does not come with a manual gearbox.

Tata Nexon

Tata has gradually improved its image in the Indian customer’s mind. One evidence for Tata’s rising popularity is the success of the Tata Nexon. Launched a few years ago, Tata Nexon has not really found its place in the market until recently. After gaining the full star rating at the Asian NCAP crash test, the Tata Nexon is able to refresh its image as a safe and trust-worthy sub-compact SUV. Last month, in February 2021, with 8,305 units sold last month, Tata Nexon ranked third in the monthly sub-four-meter SUV sale chart, gaining a year-on-year growth of 103 per cent.  

Renault Kiger

The next model in our list of Top Selling SUV cars in India is the Renault Kiger, which is also the newest vehicle to enter the SUV segment. This compact SUV is launched as the most affordable model in the segment at the starting price of Rs 5.45 lakh. With such competitive pricing, Renault Kiger has garnered encouraging responses from the market, which is reflected through the considerably high sale volume of 3.226 units. Even though it is not as high as other vehicles on the top of the sales chart. Still, it is a big number for a lesser popular car brand like Renault. It is expected that Renault will increase the price of this model at a later stage.

The Kiger is a petrol-only model that gets two petrol options, a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated (72PS/96Nm) and a 1.0-litre turbocharged unit (100PS/160Nm). The N.A unit is available with either a 5-speed MT or an AMT gearbox, while the turbo unit comes with a 5-speed MT or a 5-speed CVT option.

Nissan Magnite

Nissan Magnite is the sibling of the Renault Triber. Launched a while before the Renault Kiger hit the market, the Nissan Magnite is also priced aggressively. This model holds a special meaning for the Japanese car brand. It marks the return of Nissan to the Indian market after a long inactive period. Fortunately, the SUV was embraced by Indian customers. In February 2021, Nissan sold 2,991 units of the Magnite. About the powertrain, the Nissan Magnite shares the same powertrain options with the Renault Kiger. Along with the Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite is competing against the likes of Maruti Brezza, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300, Hyundai Venue in the sub-four-meter SUV segment.

The compact SUVs are basically larger and more expensive than the lower-positioned sub-compact SUVs. Even though compact SUVs are not as popular as the sub-four-meter SUVs due to their higher prices, they have an edge over sub-compact SUV in the way that they provide better interior room and better features. In the following, we will go through the list of the best selling compact SUVs in India. 

Hyundai Creta

As mentioned above, the sub-four-meter SUVs are dominating in the top best-selling SUV chart. That being said, the only model that doesn’t play along with this rule is the Hyundai Creta. In fact, the Hyundai Creta is the best-selling model of the entire SUV segment. In February 2021, Hyundai sold 12,428 units of the Hyundai Creta. It should be noted that Hyundai Creta was given a major update last year, which has significantly strengthened its position in the segment. There are good reasons why the Hyundai Creta can get to its current status. The Creta offers high built quality, fully-loaded interior and exterior, attractive styling, and a spacious and comfortable cabin.

Hyundai Creta is offered with three engine options, a 1.5-litre N.A petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine, and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit. The power outputs of these engines are 115PS/144Nm, 115PS/250Nm and 140PS/242Nm, respectively. The first two units are available with a standard transmission option of 6-speed manual transmission. However, each is offered with a different automatic gearbox. The petrol unit is available with a CVT and the latter is provided with a 7-speed DCT unit. The 1.4-litre turbo petrol is mated exclusively to a 7-speed DCT (dual-clutch automatic).

Kia Seltos

The relationship between the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta is similar to the one between the Sonet and Venue. That’s why the Kia Seltos gets the same set of engines as the Hyundai Creta does. Moreover, the two models also share many things in common in terms of mechanics. Moreover, Kia has loaded their first SUV with a wide range of features, which makes this model hard to ignore. Owing to its attractive feature list and handsome design, the Kia Seltos has been a runaway success for the South Korean car brand in India. It has quickly become the second best-selling in the compact SUV segment and Hyundai Creta’s major rival. In February 2021, Kia sold 8,305 units of the Kia Seltos which is even higher than its sibling, the Kia Sonet. However, compared to the same month last year, the sales of the Kia Seltos has dropped by around 40 percent.

The engine options are similar to the Hyundai Creta. However, the transmission choices on the Seltos is slightly different. A 6-speed manual gearbox is still available as standard for all three engines. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is offered with two automatic gearbox choices, a CVT or a DCT. On the other hand, the diesel engine gets a 6-speed torque convertor as its automatic option.

Mahindra XUV300

Following the Scorpio, Mahindra XUV300 is the second top selling SUV cars in India from Mahindra. Last month, there were 3,174 units of the XUV300 sold in India. Earlier, Mahindra has just added the petrol-ATM model to XUV300’s line-up. Mahindra XUV300 is now offered with either a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine (110PS/200Nm) or a 1.5-litre diesel unit (117PS/300Nm). Both engines get the same transmission options including a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed AMT gearbox.

MG Hector

MG Hector was launched around the same time as the Kia Seltos. These two models were arch-rival at the time of their launches. However, later on, the Kia Seltos has clearly stood out and gained an upper hand over the MG Hector. That’s being said, the MG Hector is still able to capture the attention of a number of SUV buyers.

MG Hector was positioned above the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. It competes against the Jeep Compass, Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV500 and Hyundai Tucson. Under the hood, MG Hector comes with both petrol and diesel engines. The former is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol unit that makes 143PS and 250Nm while the latter is a 2.0-litre unit. The oil burner is expected to generate 170PS and 350Nm. A 6-speed manual gearbox is offered as standard for both engines. However, only the petrol unit is available with automatic options including a 6-speed DCT and an 8-speed CVT gearbox. It should be noted that the petrol engine also comes with a 48V mild-hybrid system.  

Last month, 3,662 units of the MG Hector were sold. What’s more interesting is that the MG has registered a massive YoY growth of 200 per cent, which is opposite to the Kia Seltos. The increasing trend has shown that the MG Hector is not only able to maintain its initial reception but also build up momentum. It shows that the MG Hector has real potential in the market.

Mahindra Scorpio

Mahindra has a wide range of utility vehicles. Out of all these models, Mahindra Scorpio is the best-selling model. In February, the homegrown car brand has sold 3,532 units of the Scorpio, which is 135 percent higher than last year’s same month.

This SUV is available in three versions, 7-, 8- and 9-seating configuration. It is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine that comes in two states of tunes, 120PS/280Nm and 140PS/319Nm. The lower-tuned version is employed on the base S3+ variant only while the more powerful powertrain is available for the rest of the line-up. Mahindra Scorpio comes exclusively with a manual gearbox. The base S3+ gets a 5-speed MT while the rest comes with a 6-speed manual unit.

Top Selling SUV cars in India - Full-size

Toyota Fortuner

The full-sized SUV segment is only selling in a small number. In fact, the best-selling model of this segment ranked 15^th on the SUV sales chart last month. In February 2021, Toyota sold 2,053 units of the Toyota Fortuner, which is 36 per cent higher than last year’s 1,510 units. This increase is credited for the launch of the facelift version back in January. Besides the launch of the new facelift, Toyota also introduced a special version of the Fortuner, the Toyota Fortuner Legender.

The facelift Toyota Fortuner comes with various styling updates as well as feature additions. Under the hood, it continues to source power from either a 2.7-litre petrol or a 2.8-litre diesel engine. However, unlike the previous model, the latter is revised to provide more power. The power outputs of these models are 166PS/245Nm and 204PS/500Nm, respectively. Both engines are available with two powertrain options, a manual gearbox and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. However, only the diesel is offered with a 4WD system with electronic differential locking. Toyota Fortuner is the dominating model in the full-size SUV segment, against Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4, and MG Gloster.

Top Selling SUV cars in India - Lifestyle Segment

Mahindra Thar

The last name on this list is Mahindra Thar.  Launched in October last year, the Mahindra Thar become an instant hit in the market. The off-road model was so successful that the demand for the new-gen model has well exceeded the supply. In fact, the customers of Mahindra Thar has to wait for months until the delivery.

The new-gen Mahindra Thar is launched with comprehensive updates from inside out. The exterior of the Mahindra has evolved significantly and look more handsome than ever. Additionally, the Thar also receives a host of new interior features as a way to enhance the driving experience. Under the hood, the third-gen Thar gets two engine choices, a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol (150PS and 300Nm – MT/320 Nm – AT) and a 2.2-litre diesel engine (130PS and 300Nm). A 6-speed manual gearbox is offered as standard. And for the first time, the Mahindra Thar is offered with an optional AT gearbox. So, which one of these Top Selling SUV cars in India are you planning to buy?