TURBO CHARGE

With GST cuts revving up India's car market, automakers are rushing to roll out punchy new models, sporting price tags that can thrill both wallets and wheels

- RAJEEV NARAYAN

The Indian auto market has slammed the gas pedal to the floor. A sharp GST cut has sliced prices and jolted the industry into full-throttle action. After years of cautious idling, buyers are charging back into showrooms, pushing demand to highs not seen in years. This time, it is not hatchbacks stealing the show. It's the swaggering SUV brigade that is ruling the tarmac, especially the compact and sub-Rs 20 lakh segment. Indians aren't just buying cars anymore, they are buying attitude on wheels.

In the last quarter, sales rose 20 per cent. GST cuts cranked this up another 20 per cent, with new hot models even having 'wait' periods. This is not a turnaround, it is naked auto lust and torquey hunger.

When the SUV bug bites, it doesn't nibble—it devours. Kia Motors proved this in spectacular fashion, blowing past the competition to top September's sales charts on the back of the Sonet relaunch and the continued pull of the Seltos. That kind of sprint is no small feat in a market where 500,000 new, unsold cars have been gathering dust and languishing in monsoon-soaked stockyards.

Luxury has had its moment too. Mercedes pulled off a festive miracle, moving a car every six minutes during Navratri and Dussehra. But the real action is down the price ladder, where SUVs in the Rs 12-18 lakh bracket have become the new sweet spot—easy on the pocket, heavy on swagger.

The lineup is enough to make petrolheads grin. Toyota is rolling out India-spec global SUVs, Jeep is going rugged without bruising wallets, and Jaguar Land Rover is whispering “affordable luxury”. Maruti Suzuki is cranking up with sharper versions of the Jimny and Grand Vitara. The French are back too; Renault is preparing a return of the Duster, armed with 4WD and hybrid-electric options. If it lives up to the hype, it could be the comeback story of the year.