Maruti Brezza has emerged as the best selling SUV in FY2020 despite facing a 30% sales decline
Even as the auto sector is hit by one crisis after another (market slowdown, BS6 implementation, COVID-19, etc.), the SUV segment has defied industry trends by registering positive growth in FY2020. A total of 6,55,229 units were sold in FY2020, which translates into an annual growth of 3.33% compared to that in FY2019 (6,34,141 units). On the other hand, India’s automotive market registered an overall fall of 17.3% in FY2020.
The top-selling SUV in FY2020 was Maruti Brezza at a sales figure of 1,10,641 units. This translates into a YoY loss of 29.92% as against 1,57,880 units sold in FY2019. Maruti Brezza is the only car in the list to sell more than a lakh units. Its sales loss can be attributed to the slowdown and competition from new entrants.
Vitara Brezza could register further losses in BS6 era as the company has decided to discontinue its diesel variant. In comparison, its rivals such as Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and Mahindra XUV300 have updated their diesel engines to BS6 specs.
Top Selling SUVs – March 2020
| No | SUV | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | Diff | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maruti Brezza | 1,10,641 | 1,57,880 | -47,239 | -29.92% |
| 2 | Hyundai Venue | 93,624 | – | – | – |
| 3 | Hyundai Creta | 82,074 | 1,24,300 | -42,226 | -33.97% |
| 4 | Kia Seltos | 81,984 | – | – | – |
| 5 | Tata Nexon | 43,260 | 55,008 | -11,748 | -21.36% |
| 6 | Mahindra Scorpio | 38,826 | 47,837 | -9,011 | -18.84% |
| 7 | Ford EcoSport | 37,844 | 46,265 | -8,421 | -18.20% |
| 8 | Mahindra XUV300 | 37,576 | 9,226 | 28,350 | 307.28% |
| 9 | MG Hector | 21,680 | – | – | – |
| 10 | Toyota Fortuner | 12,963 | 21,141 | -8,178 | -38.68% |
| 11 | Tata Harrier | 12,856 | 4,363 | 8,493 | 194.66% |
| 12 | Mahindra XUV500 | 12,602 | 25,938 | -13,336 | -51.41% |
| 13 | Honda WR-V | 11,926 | 33,010 | -21,084 | -63.87% |
| 14 | Maruti S-Cross | 11,721 | 37,822 | -26,101 | -69.01% |
| 15 | Mahindra TUV300 | 11,543 | 19,570 | -8,027 | -41.02% |
| 16 | Jeep Compass | 8,453 | 16,080 | -7,627 | -47.43% |
| 17 | Renault Duster | 7,837 | 10,319 | -2,482 | -24.05% |
| 18 | Ford Endeavour | 6,470 | 5,829 | 641 | 11.00% |
| 19 | Nissan Kicks | 3,054 | 2,691 | 363 | 13.49% |
| 20 | Skoda Kodiaq | 1,590 | 2,010 | -420 | -20.90% |
| 21 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 1,205 | 1,054 | 151 | 14.33% |
| 22 | Tata Safari | 1,104 | 5,664 | -4,560 | -80.51% |
| 23 | Mahindra Alturas G4 | 1,076 | 1,428 | -352 | -24.65% |
| 24 | Honda CR-V | 874 | 848 | 26 | 3.07% |
| 25 | Renault Captur | 719 | 3,542 | -2,823 | -79.70% |
| 26 | Hyundai Tucson | 699 | 1,538 | -839 | -54.55% |
| 27 | Hyundai Kona | 377 | – | – | – |
| 28 | Nissan Terrano | 377 | 778 | -401 | -51.54% |
| 29 | MG ZS EV | 274 | – | – | – |
| – | Total | 6,55,229 | 6,34,141 | 21,088 | 3.33% |
At the second position is Hyundai Venue which has emerged as a giant killer of sorts. Venue was ahead of Brezza in monthly sales several times in FY2020. It has also toppled Hyundai Creta which was once the best-selling SUV in India. Venue has helped Hyundai strengthen its position in the UV space. Launched in May last year, Hyundai Venue has registered sales of 93,624 units in FY2020.
At number three is Hyundai Creta with 82,074 units in FY2020. This translates into a loss of 33.97% compared to 1,24,300 units sold in FY2019. A significant percentage of Creta’s sales in FY2020 was cannibalized by Kia Seltos. However, things may improve in the future, as Hyundai has launched 2020MY Creta with several new features. The response has been good as more than 10k bookings were received within a week of launch.
Following Creta is Kia Seltos with sales of 81,984 units in FY2020. Launched in August last year, Kia Seltos has been the top-selling SUV in the past three months. It has also managed to beat most compact SUVs which used to be the maximum volume generators. If Seltos continues to sell at the current rate, it could emerge as the top selling SUV of FY2021.
Tata Nexon takes the fifth place with a sales figure of 43,260 units in FY2020. This is a 21.36% loss in comparison to 55,008 units sold in FY2019. Tata Nexon is one of the safest cars on the market as it was the first made-in-India vehicle to attain a five-star rating in Global NCAP safety tests.
Other SUVs in the top 10 list are Mahindra Scorpio (38,826 units), Ford EcoSport (37,844), Mahindra XUV300 (37,576), MG Hector (21,680) and Toyota Fortuner (12,963). Electric vehicles Hyundai Kona and MG ZS EV are placed at 27th and 29th spot, at FY2020 sales of 377 and 274 units, respectively.