The passenger cars launched this year in the SUV space are indeed performing well and here is a look into their sales performance in October 2021
Along the course of this calendar year, the Indian passenger vehicle industry has seen as many as eight new launches across different segments besides a host of facelifts and updated vehicles. While the majority of them are SUVs, the way they are positioned and the strategy in which the manufacturers have pitched them on the market differ as well.
Just a few weeks ago, Tata Motors introduced the Punch micro SUV and it was the second most sold model for the brand within its domestic portfolio behind Nexon and it attributed to 25 per cent of the total sales. The Punch competes against Mahindra KUV NXT and Maruti Suzuki Ignis, and its sales volumes are expected to increase further in the coming months.
Mahindra & Mahindra brought in the XUV700 towards the end of September 2021 and is priced in an expansive range. The reservations have already crossed the 65,000 mark for the midsize SUV and is retailed in MX, AX3, AX5 and AX7 variants, and it contributed to 17 per cent of the total volumes for the homegrown SUV specialist last month.
| New Cars In 2021 (YoY) | Sales In October 2021 | OEM Contribution |
| 1. Tata Punch (%) | 8,453 | 25% |
| 2. Mahindra XUV700 (%) | 3,407 | 17% |
| 3. Nissan Magnite (%) | 3,389 | 87% |
| 4. Renault Kiger (%) | 2.643 | 30% |
| 5. VW Taigun (%) | 2,551 | 83% |
| 6. Skoda Kushaq (%) | 2,413 | 79% |
| 7. Tata Safari (%) | 1,735 | 5% |
| 8. Hyundai Alcazar (%) | 1,392 | 4% |
For the Renault-Nissan Alliance, understanding the significance of the compact SUV segment has proven to be crucial as the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger are drawing noticeable volumes for them. The Magnite managed to garner 2,643 units and contributed to 87 per cent of the brand’s volume in the month of October 2021.
Skoda Auto India launched the Kushaq by the end of June 2021 while the Volkswagen Taigun entered showrooms in September. Both are based on the India 2.0 project and are underpinned by the MQB A0 IN platform that is heavily localised with more than 90 per cent local content. The Kushaq posted 2,413 unit sales last month as it formed 79 per cent of the total sales.
The Taigun, on the other hand, recorded 2,551 units last month with an 83 per cent contribution. Tata Safari and Hyundai Alcazar are the midsize three-row SUVs derived from Harrier and Creta respectively and they contributed to 5 and 4 per cent for Tata and Hyundai’s volumes.