Maruti Suzuki Swift Loses 'Top Selling Model' Crown; Indians Are Loving This 'Made-in-India' Micro-SUV

The year 2024 marked a significant shift in market dynamics in India as Tata Punch emerged as the highest-selling model in the country. This achievement ended Maruti Suzuki 's four-decade dominance in the domestic Passenger Vehicle (PV) market as its Swift hatchback lost its leadership position to Tata Motors ' Punch micro-Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

Around 2,02,031 units of Tata Punch (across all variants) were sold during last year against sales of 1,50,182 units (only available in the ICEV option then) in 2023, when it was seventh in the pecking order, according to the data shared by JATO Dynamics India.

Tata Motors, when contacted, revealed that it has sold over 2,00,000 units of Punch last year, thus allowing it to emerge as the "highest-selling car model" in India in Calendar Year 2024.  

"Launched in October 2021, the Tata Punch introduced India to the sub-compact SUV category. The Tata Punch with its strong attributes has successfully democratised the SUV attributes,” Tata Motors spokesperson stated in an email response to queries sent by Republic Business.

 Source: JATO Dynamics India

Changing consumer psychographics

According to industry observers, the success of the Tata Punch reflects a broader consumer shift towards compact SUVs in India. Its popularity has contributed to Tata Motors' increased marketshare, positioning the company as a formidable competitor to established players like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai.

For instance, Puneet Gupta from S&P Global Mobility believes that Tata Punch's resounding success reflects the perfect value proposition and powertrain diversity the product offers to its customers. In his view, “The pride of driving an SUV and comfort and convenience of driving a compact vehicles makes its a perfect win over Maruti Suzuki Swift." 

Similarly, Ravi Bhatia, MD, JATO Dynamics India, is of the view that Tata Punch is excelling due to its strategic positioning as a compact SUV that offers an impressive blend of affordability, robust safety features, fuel efficiency, and everyday practicality.

"Tata Punch's appeal is further enhanced by the availability of diverse powertrain options, including electric and CNG variants, making it an ideal choice for value-for-money buyers," stated Bhatia.

Maruti Suzuki's Swift, which led the sales charts in 2023 at 2,03,469 units slipped to sixth position at 1,72,808 units during 2024.  However, the company's WagonR hatchback was the second highest selling model last year at 190,855 units. Its Ertiga MPV came third at 190,091 units in CY 2024, as per JATO Dynamics India.

Hyundai Creta holds on to its rank

Hyundai Creta SUV retained the fifth position at 186,919 units in 2024. Maruti Suzuki's Baleno hatchback, which was the third highest selling model last year, saw its numbers dropping to 1,72,808 units and thus coming seventh this year, as per JATO Dynamics India's findings.

Meanwhile, Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Fronx saw a jump in its numbers at 166,364 units (8th), 1,61,611 units (9th) and 1,56,236 units (10th), respectively, during the last calendar year.