CHART TOPPERS

With compact SUVs dominating the sales numbers every month, we test three bestsellers in the segment to find out which is best.

- KARAN SINGH

Of all the new cars sold in India last month, 37% were SUVs. That’s a massive piece of the car sales cake. For reference, hatchbacks accounted for 35% and MUVs took 16% of the pie. Sedans? A lowly 12%! What I’m trying to get at is that if you’re looking to buy a new vehicle today, chances are you’re looking at an SUV. And, statistically speaking, it’s probably the sub-four metre SUV segment you have your eyes on.

Dominating this pool for a few months now is the Tata Nexon, selling about 14 thousand units every month. Following closely behind is the Maruti-Suzuki Brezza, which averages between 10 and 11 thousand units a month, and then we have the Hyundai Venue, which is also close to the 10 thousand mark. But while the Nexon has been fairly static for a couple of years now, the Brezza has just got a massive update and Hyundai has hit the refresh button on the Venue. Is there a new chart-topper on the horizon?

KING OF THE HILL

Let me just confess that I love Tatas. I also have a soft spot for the Nexon, it was the first car I properly thrashed around a racetrack. The Nexon isn’t a sales topper just because of that desh ka loha nonsense, there’s good reason for its success. The chiselled face and flared arches are familiar, but they give the Nexon some muscle. And then there’s the fact that it has received a five-star crash safety rating –