Kia Seltos led the way ahead of the newly launched Hyundai Creta in March 2020 as 7,466 units were sold against 6,706 units for the latter
Kia Motors India introduced the Seltos in August 2019 and it has since been the segment leader every month except for December. Despite the nationwide lockdown implemented in the later stages of March 2019, the Seltos managed to post 7,466 unit sales to stay on top of the charts by keeping the Creta behind.
Hyundai introduced the new generation Creta last month and is priced between Rs. 9.99 lakh and Rs. 17.20 lakh (ex-showroom). It has plenty in common with the Seltos including the three engine choices and some features. The second-gen Creta is a radical departure from its highly successful predecessor with a thoroughly upgraded design and India-specific interior.
The rivalry between the Kia Seltos and the new Hyundai Creta is one of the hotly anticipated this year but the existing circumstances of lockdown and production shutdown only create uncertainty. The Creta was the most sold Hyundai last month but endured 41 per cent YoY drop as 6,706 units were recorded against 11,448 units in March 2019.
| Model (YoY) | March 2020 | March 2019 |
| 1. Kia Seltos | 7,466 | – |
| 2. Hyundai Creta (-41%) | 6,706 | 11,448 |
| 3. MG Hector | 1,402 | – |
| 4. Tata Harrier (-75%) | 632 | 2,492 |
| 5. Nissan Kicks (-26%) | 519 | 701 |
| 6. Renault Duster (-83%) | 150 | 877 |
The Hector was positioned third with a total of 1,402 units while the Harrier, which had its updated version introduced recently, ended up fourth with a total of 632 units. Compared to the corresponding period in 2019, the Harrier posted 2,492 units that resulted in a massive 75 per cent year-on-year drop.
Nissan’s Kicks finished fifth with a cumulative domestic tally of 591 units as against 701 units during the same month last year with 26 per cent decline. The Duster, on the other hand, managed to garner only 150 units last month as against 877 units during the same period in 2019 with YoY volume decline of 83 per cent.
Other mid-size five-seater SUVs like Renault Captur, Nissan Terrano and Maruti Suzuki S-Cross posted zero units last month. The S-Cross is getting a petrol version soon. Having already been teased, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder K-series SHVS petrol engine will stand in place of the discontinued 1.3-litre DDiS diesel motor.