Petrol engine powered cars are still preferred in India, thanks to the hatchback segment which is the most sold segment here
Even though SUVs are gaining popularity in India, especially the compact SUV segment, the Indian Automobile industry is still dominated by hatchbacks. Powering these small cars is usually a petrol motor, which is good news for India as it tries to move away from diesel-powered cars to more environment-friendly petrol engines with the implementation of BS-VI emission norms.
We have compiled a list of the top 10 petrol cars sold in FY19 and there’s some interesting data to look at. 9 out of top 10 petrol cars sold last year were hatchbacks, with only one compact sedan on the list. No petrol SUV could make it to the list and top 5 cars belong to Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest car manufacturer who has announced to discontinue the sales of diesel cars post 1st April, 2020.
There are two Hyundai cars and 1 each of Tata and Renault. Here’s the list of top 10 petrol cars sold in FY19-
1. Maruti Suzuki Alto – 2,59,401 Units
Topping the list is the Maruti Suzuki Alto, which is also the most sold car in India for many years now. The Alto is an entry-level hatchback with two engine options – a 796 cc and a 1.0-litre petrol engine. Maruti Suzuki recently updated the Alto with the BS-VI compliant engine.
2. Maruti Suzuki Baleno – 1,88,120 Units
Next on the list is another Maruti car – the Baleno premium hatchback which is sold through the Nexa dealership. The Baleno is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine same as in Swift and Dzire. Interestingly, Baleno surpassed the sales of both the cars.
3. Maruti Suzuki Swift – 165,707 Units
Joining the list of the most sold petrol cars is the Maruti Suzuki Swift. The popular hatchback has been bought in equal proportions for both petrol and diesel engine options. Powering the Swift is the tried and trusted 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine.
4. Maruti Suzuki Wagon R – 151,462 Units
Maruti Suzuki recently updated the popular tall-boy hatchback Wagon R with new looks, engine options and features. The Wagon R has been in the market for 20 years now and still attract a lot of buyers. It is not available in a diesel engine option.
5. Maruti Suzuki Dzire – 135,071 Units
Another Maruti Suzuki on the list is the all-new third generation Dzire compact sedan. Once the most sought-after segment in India, the compact sedan segment is witnessing stiff competition from the compact SUV market, where the Vitara Brezza is placed.
Nevertheless, the Dzire did rake up some really good numbers in FY19 by selling more than 1 Lakh units of petrol powered Dzire, almost equal to its diesel-powered model. In all, Maruti Suzuki Dzire was the second highest selling car of FY19 after the Alto.
6. Hyundai Grand i10 – 117,079 Units
After top 5 Maruti Suzuki cars comes the first Hyundai car, India’s second largest car manufacturer. The Hyundai Grand i10 competes against the Maruti Suzuki Swift and rakes up good numbers on a constant basis. However, there has been an update pending for long now, resulting in a sales decline.
7. Hyundai Elite i20 – 108,375 Units
The second Hyundai car on the list is the Elite i20 premium hatchback, whose petrol powered model is more selling than its diesel model. Interestingly, more people preferred diesel Elite i20 over its main rival Maruti Suzuki Baleno, while the trend is opposite in petrol cars.
8. Maruti Suzuki Celerio – 103,734 Units
The last Maruti Suzuki car on the list is the Celerio hatchback. While many may think that Celerio is a dying product, the hatchback did manage to sell more than 1 lakh units of its petrol-powered model.
9. Tata Tiago – 79,909 Units
The only Tata on the list is also the most sold Tata cars in years now. The Tata Tiago was introduced back in 2015 and has been attracting a lot of buyers ever since it was first launched. The newly developed 1.2-litre Revotron engine has many takers, constantly doing more than 6000 units on a monthly basis.
10. Renault Kwid – 64,913 Units
The last car on our list is the Renault Kwid, the sole car holding the fort for the French automaker in India. Competing against the Maruti Suzuki Alto, the Kwid is available in a 800 cc and 1.0-litre petrol engine configurations.
Data Source: Autopunditz