Compact SUV slowdown likely to persist into 2026

NEW LAUNCHES AND facelifts in the under-4 metre SUV segment are expected to remain limited this calendar year, suggesting that the category’s recent slowdown could extend into 2026 even as overall passenger vehicle demand stays firm.

- VIKRAM CHAUDHARY

Industry executives and analysts said the compact SUV segment, which drove much of the growth in the years immediately after the pandemic, is entering a phase of consolidation. While buyers will see some new options in hybrids, electric vehicles and more premi