The mid-size SUV segment saw 87 per cent YoY sales growth in July 2020 as 28,509 units were sold against 15,208 units
The automotive industry did recovery big time last month as the overall sales volume met with near flat growth. The compact hatchback segment recorded a total of 46,102 units as against 51,741 units with Year-on-Year de-growth of 11 per cent. The compact SUV, compact sedan, executive sedan, premium SUV, premium sedan and luxury sedan segments also registered negative volume growth.
The mid-size SUV space saw the highest YoY growth as 28,509 units were dispatched against 15,208 units during the corresponding period in 2019 with a massive 87 per cent volume increase. This was due to the good reception of Hyundai Creta which garnered 11,549 units against 6,585 units with 75 per cent growth. The five-seater recorded more than 55,000 bookings since its launch in March 2020.
Moreover, a total of 20,000 units have been delivered already in four months. The entry-level hatchback segment also encountered a huge boom in sales in July 2020 as 20,865 units were sold against 14,910 units with 40 per cent sales increase. The premium hatchback and MUV segments also registered respective growths of 1 per cent and 3 per cent.
| Segments (YoY) | Sales In July 2020 | Sales In July 2019 |
| 1. Compact Hatchback (-11%) | 46,102 | 51,741 |
| 2. Mid-Size SUV (87%) | 28,509 | 15,208 |
| 3. Compact SUV (-13%) | 24,558 | 28,281 |
| 4. Premium Hatchback (1%) | 24,488 | 24,167 |
| 5. MUV (3%) | 21,066 | 20,393 |
| 6. Entry Hatchback (40%) | 20,865 | 14,910 |
| 7. Compact Sedan (-36%) | 14,517 | 22,515 |
| 8. Vans (-13%) | 8,501 | 9,814 |
| 9. Executive Sedan (-14%) | 6,347 | 7,416 |
| 10. Premium SUV (-15%) | 1,899 | 2,235 |
| 11. Lifestyle Off-Roader (16%) | 541 | 466 |
| 12. Premium Sedan (-79%) | 105 | 512 |
| 13. Luxury Sedan (-56%) | 55 | 124 |
The B2 segment for hatchbacks has the Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Elite i20 and Tata Altroz as top contenders. The latter entered the domestic market earlier this year while the next generation Elite i20 is expected to arrive during this festive season and it could help in improving the sales further. The sub-four-metre SUV segment contended with 13 per cent sales decline last month.
In the coming months, the category will see a lot of action as Kia will launch the Sonet, Renault will likely debut the Kiger later this year while the Magnite from Nissan appears to be scheduled for showroom entry in the early stages of next year. Additionally, Citroen is also looking to introduce its highly localised C21 compact SUV and the Jeep’s small SUV could also arrive in a couple of years.
The compact SUV segment was the third largest segment contributing to more than 12 per cent of the passenger car sales last month. The MUV segment contributed to over 10 per cent of the overall domestic sales during the same period.