Tata Nexon recorded 13,169 units so far this fiscal as against 12,652 units with YoY sales growth of just over 4 per cent
The Indian automotive industry has been running on a really rough patch due to the health crisis plaguing the progress. However, over the last two months, the sector has been showing good signs of improvement as the volume sales have been steadily improving and the festive season period is crucial to sustain the momentum and further improve on the volume numbers.
The compact SUV segment is definitely responsible for garnering new audiences in recent times and resultantly, plenty of activity has been seen. For instance, the much-awaited Kia Sonet debuted a few weeks ago and the Toyota Urban Cruiser has helped in expanding the number of offerings in this tightly contested space. Brands like Nissan and Renault are also eying the sweet spot with SUVs in early 2021.
The sub-four-metre SUVs are posting consistent sales tally over the last three months and their volumes are evidently showing their significant contribution in the overall tally. The sub-four-metre SUVs were responsible for posting 70,915 units between April and August 2020. Compared to the same period when 1,33,282 units were recorded last year, the YoY de-growth stood at a massive 46.79 per cent.
| Compact SUVs (YoY) | Sales In April-August 2020 | Sales In April-August 2019 |
| 1. Hyundai Venue (-41.3%) | 20,372 | 34,739 |
| 2. Maruti Vitara Brezza (-52.6%) | 19,824 | 41,848 |
| 3. Tata Nexon (4.09%) | 13,169 | 12,652 |
| 4. Mahindra XUV300 (-59.3%) | 8,578 | 21,078 |
| 5. Ford EcoSport (-58.07%) | 6,738 | 16,068 |
| 6. Honda WR-V (-67.61%) | 2,234 | 6,897 |
The car brands are actively selling their models to their full capacity only since August 2020 and thus the volume slump is certainly understandable. The Hyundai Venue topped the charts with 20,372 units as against 34,739 units during the same period in 2019 with YoY decline of 41.36 per cent. The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza endured 19,824 units as against 41,848 units with 52.63 per cent decline.
The Tata Nexon was the only model in the segment to register positive sales growth during the first five months of this fiscal as it garnered 13,169 units as against 12,652 units with 4 per cent sales increase. The facelifted Nexon launched earlier this year has been well received among customers and its tally has been consistent.
The Mahindra XUV300 recorded 8,578 units as against 21,078 units during the April to August 2019 period with nearly 60 per cent decline. The EcoSport could not fare any better either as only 6,738 units were sold while the WR-V could only manage to post 2,234 units with 46.79 per cent de-growth. The Sonet is expected to make a big impact in the coming months to shake up the pecking order.