SUVS race ahead of hatchbacks

With an estimated sale of 1.5 million, the SUV is now India's biggest-selling body style, writes Ketan Thakkar.

- Ketan Thakkar.

The sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment has become the largest-selling vehicle body type in the Indian market. It has overtaken the humble hatchback which was the primary choice for millions of Indians over the years.

As per data sourced from Jato Dynamics India, in 2022 the sales of hatchbacks stood at 1.24 million versus SUVs at 1.44 million units.

Increased affordability due to rising disposable income and high-decibel new vehicle launches over the years has expanded the bouquet of choices for the prospective Indian buyers.

Over the past four years the volumes of hatchbacks have come down from 1.37 million in 2019 to 1.24 million units. In the same time frame, the sales of SUVs have almost doubled from 7.77 lakh units to 1.44 million units accounting for the majority in 2022.

Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics India says SUVs were considered a boom that became a long-term trend and continue to drive the growth in the industry. They saved many OEMs during the financial crisis years and are now the only source of profits for many car makers.