SUVs dominate roads, but at the luxe end, sedans are holding on

The number of sedans on Indian roads is shrinking, thanks mainly to the rise of sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

- Ayaan Kartik [e-mail]

However, this trend hasn’t had a significant effect on luxury carmakers, for whom sedans still drive a large chunk of sales.

Executives at the Indian arms of luxury carmakers BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi said sedans remain a key pillar of growth, making up more than 40% of sales, albeit down from around 50% a few years ago.

The share of sedans fell below 10% of India’s total car sales of 4.3 million in fiscal year 2025 (FY25), according to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), while the share of SUVs and multipurpose vehicles shot up to 65%. The share of sedans in overall car sales has been in steep decline since FY19.