The Heavyweights: SUVs give tough fight to hatchbacks, sedans in Indian auto market
Sales of SUVs and MPVs grew a staggering 30 per cent in 2016/17 over the previous year, while passenger cars rose 3.85 per cent and vans 2.37 per cent.
- May 22, 2017,
- Updated May 22, 2017 6:31 PM IST
Rural residents find it convenient for transporting agricultural material. Over the years, it has spawned cousins, too, the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and the crossover - the first providing seating height and space similar to an SUV but more of an extended van with three rows of seats and a two-wheel drive; and the second, expressly designed to marry an SUV with a passenger car.
Sales of SUVs and MPVs grew a staggering 30 per cent in 2016/17 over the previous year, while passenger cars rose 3.85 per cent and vans 2.37 per cent. SUV and MPV sales are growing eight times faster than those of cars and vans, including their newly introduced models. Crossovers, relatively new in India, are still establishing a foothold. SUVs and MPVs accounted for 25.54 per cent of total passenger vehicle sales in 2016/17, up from 21 per cent the previous year - which means one in every four cars sold is an SUV or MPV. A host of models have been launched in the past 18 months or so, and many more are in the offing - at least two dozen are expected to be unveiled at or before the next Auto Show in February 2018. "From mass market to luxury, I've counted 47 SUV models in India," says Gaurav Vangaal, Automotive Forecasting Professional, IHS Global Insight, which researches global economies.
Rural residents find it convenient for transporting agricultural material. Over the years, it has spawned cousins, too, the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and the crossover - the first providing seating height and space similar to an SUV but more of an extended van with three rows of seats and a two-wheel drive; and the second, expressly designed to marry an SUV with a passenger car.
Sales of SUVs and MPVs grew a staggering 30 per cent in 2016/17 over the previous year, while passenger cars rose 3.85 per cent and vans 2.37 per cent. SUV and MPV sales are growing eight times faster than those of cars and vans, including their newly introduced models. Crossovers, relatively new in India, are still establishing a foothold. SUVs and MPVs accounted for 25.54 per cent of total passenger vehicle sales in 2016/17, up from 21 per cent the previous year - which means one in every four cars sold is an SUV or MPV. A host of models have been launched in the past 18 months or so, and many more are in the offing - at least two dozen are expected to be unveiled at or before the next Auto Show in February 2018. "From mass market to luxury, I've counted 47 SUV models in India," says Gaurav Vangaal, Automotive Forecasting Professional, IHS Global Insight, which researches global economies.