The utility vehicle segment, which accounts for over 60% of the passenger vehicle market in India, sees compact and midsize SUVs battle for honours even as demand grows for MPVs. While the Hyundai Creta and Maruti Brezza are separated by just 618 units at the top, the Maruti Ertiga takes third rank, the Tata Nexon sees a resurgence of demand and the Toyota Hyryder shines with 72% YoY growth. MG Windsor EV and Mahindra BE 6, XEV 9e with over 11,000 units each miss out on entering the Top 20 list.
13 Jul 2025 | 1197 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
The surge in the utility vehicle (UV) industry, which comprises SUVs and MPVs continues unabated. Following FY2025, which saw the UV share of the passenger vehicle industry jump to 65% with a record 2.79 million units, the first three months of the new fiscal year 2026 are reflective of the ...
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The surge in the utility vehicle (UV) industry, which comprises SUVs and MPVs continues unabated. Following FY2025, which saw the UV share of the passenger vehicle industry jump to 65% with a record 2.79 million units, the first three months of the new fiscal year 2026 are reflective of the same trend and continue to buffer the decline in passenger car and sedan sales.
A quick look at the Top 20 best-selling utility vehicles in the April-June 2025 period reveals just which models are the movers and shakers split between compact SUVs, midsize SUVs and MPVs. Even as the surging demand for compact SUVs continues, there is growing demand for bigger, feature-laden midsize SUVs as a result of some recently launched models. Here’s taking a look at each of them.
No. 1 – Hyundai Creta: 47,662 units, up 3%
The Hyundai Creta, which is India’s longstanding No. 1 midsize SUV, tops the UV chart in Q1 FY2026 with sales of 47,662 units. This is a 3% YoY increase and translates into an additional 1,260 units (Q1 FY2025: 46,402 units), which is enough to help it stay ahead of the Maruti Brezza.
It was felt that the Creta’s sales would further accelerate with the launch of the Creta Electric earlier this year but that has not happened. Nevertheless, in Q1 FY2026, the Creta has topped the monthly charts both in April 2025 (17,016 units) and in June 2025 (15,786 units), and also maintains its numero uno status as India’s No. 1 midsize SUV. In FY2025, the Creta was ranked UV No. 2 (194,871 units) after the Tata Punch compact SUV.
No. 2 – Maruti Brezza: 47,044 units, up 6%
The Maruti Brezza compact SUV, which was launched in March 2016 and has clocked cumulative sales of 1.29 million units since then, continues to win over buyers. In Q1 FY2026, the Brezza has clocked wholesales of 47,044 units, up 6% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 44,471 units) and is currently India best-selling compact SUV. April 2025’s 16,971 units has been its highest monthly tally in the first quarter. In FY2025, the Brezza was ranked fourth (189,163 units) on the UV scale and No. 2 on the compact SUV scale, after the Tata Punch.
No. 3 – Maruti Ertiga: 46,071 units, up 6%
Maruti Suzuki India's first crack at the MPV segment and the No. 1 for the past six fiscals, continues to win over buyers and remains India’s No. 1 MPV. Sold with petrol and CNG powertrains, the Ertiga has sold 46,071 units in the first three months of this fiscal, up 6% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 43,339 units).
This constitutes 24% of the Ertiga’s 190,974 sales in FY2025, which was its best-ever fiscal year performance and made it the best-selling utility vehicle for Maruti Suzuki and India’s third best-selling UV in FY2025 after the Tata Punch and the Hyundai Creta.
The popular and city-friendly Ertiga is a sensible MPV for large families, with comfortable seating for seven passengers. While there’s no diesel option, the 1.5-litre mild hybrid petrol engine offered with manual and auto transmission gets the job done. The CNG-powered Ertiga is also in demand.
No. 4 – Mahindra Scorpio N and Classic: 42,675 units, up 5%
Mahindra & Mahindra’s best-selling SUV continues to be the Scorpio midsize SUV in the form of the popular Scorpio N and the Scorpio Classic. The 42,675 units sold between April-June 2025 were a 5% YoY increase (Q1 FY2025: 40,831 units) and account for a 28% share of M&M’s 152,067 SUVs sold in the first three months of FY2026. In FY2025, the Scorpio twins sold 164,842 units and were ranked sixth on the overall UV scale.
No. 5 – Tata Nexon: 40,155 units, up 16%
The Tata Nexon compact SUV, once Tata Motor’s longstanding best-seller which was out-staged by the Tata Punch, has taken the lead over its sibling in Q1 FY2026. With three-month sales of 40,155 units, the Nexon’s factory dispatches are up 16% YoY (Q1 FY2026: 40,831 units) and has contributed 32% to its total passenger vehicle wholesales of 123,839 units.
Ranked No. 5 on the overall UV scale, the Tata Nexon sold with petrol, diesel, CNG and electric powertrains is currently the second-best-selling compact SUV. Will the Nexon, which was India’s best-selling SUV for three straight years in FY2024, FY2023 and FY2022 but ranked seventh in FY2025 (163,089 units), see a strong resurgence in demand in FY2026?
No. 6 – Maruti Fronx: 37,744 units, up 3%
The Maruti Fronx, which was India’s fifth best-selling SUV in FY2025 (166,216 units) and the No. 1 exported SUV last fiscal, has clocked wholesales of 37,744 units in the April-June 2025 quarter, up 3% YoY. At the end of FY2025, the premium Baleno-based compact SUV became the first Nexa-marketed SUV to achieve the 300,000 sales milestone.
No.7 – Tata Punch: 36,075 units, down 36%
The Tata Punch, India’s best-selling SUV in FY2025 (196,567 units), has witnessing a surprisingly poor start to FY2026. Cumulative first three-months’ sales at 36,075 units are down sharply by 36% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 56,345 units). This translates into 20,270 fewer units YoY. The estimated 10,446 units sold in June 2025 are the lowest monthly sales for the Punch since July 2023 (12,019 units). The Punch is available with petrol, CNG and electric powertrains.
No. 8 – Toyota Innova Crysta / Hycross: 25,383 units, up 1%
The Innova MPV – Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s best-selling product – has sold 25,383 units, up 1% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 25,063 units). This total is 22% of the Innova’s sales of 107,204 units in FY2025, comprising 62,794 Hycross and 44,410 Crysta units.
While the Innova Crysta is a diesel-only model which is a dependable and reliable workhorse, customer demand continues to rise for the front-wheel-drive, petrol-only Innova Hycross. Compared to the mild hybrid variant, the strong hybrid variant shines with its high fuel efficiency of 13.1kpl in the city and 16.1kpl on the highway. The Hycross offers everything buyers with large families want and there’s a new level of luxury too in this people-mover.
No. 9 – Mahindra Bolero: 24,257 units, down 3%
The Mahindra Bolero brand, comprising the Bolero, Bolero Neo and Bolero Neo Plus, has clocked wholesales of 24,257 units in Q1 FY2026, down 3% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 24,928 units). The Bolero, which is sold only with a diesel powertrain, continues to have its fan following and remains a popular buy particularly in town and country and increasingly for last-mile delivery operations.
No. 10 – Mahindra Thar: 23,339 units, up 35%
The Mahindra Thar brand, which comprises the three-door Thar and the five-door Thar Roxx, has registered wholesales of 23,339 units in Q1 FY2026. This constates an additional 6,053 units and marks a strong YoY increase of 35% (Q1 FY2025: 17,286 units).
At the end of April 2025, the Mahindra Thar drove past the 250,000 sales milestone, powered by the success of the Thar Roxx which, as a more practical and more mainstream product than the three-door Thar, has helped widen this SUV's target audience that now includes families, and has also taken the battle into many a rival’s camp. In FY2025, the Thar clocked 83,834 units and 30% growth. Q1 FY2026 sales are already 28% of that total.
No. 11 – Kia Sonet: 22,780 units, down 9%
The Sonet, Kia India’s first compact SUV and its best-selling UV since January 2024, sold 22,780 units in April-June, down 9% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 25,150 units) and accounts for 34% of the company’s sales of 66,563 UVs in the first three months of the current fiscal. This is 23% of its FY2025 sales of 99,805 units, when the Sonet had clocked 23% YoY growth. Launched in January 2024, the feature-laden Sonet, which surpassed the 400,000 milestone in early February, has clocked cumulative sales of 435,646 units to date in the domestic market.
No. 12 – Mahindra 3XO: 22,609 units
The Mahindra 3XO, which is the facelifted version of the XUV300, has been one of the best performers in the SUV market per se. The XUV 3XO, which is aimed squarely at the Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza and the two new compact SUVs in town – the Kia Syros and Skoda Kylaq – sports a number of unique design cues and an upmarket interior. The sizeable features list includes a digital driver’s display, a panoramic sunroof and ADAS.
In Q1 FY2026, the 3XO has sold 22,609 units, which gives it a 15% share of M&M’s total SUV sales of 152,067 units. The compact SUV opened the fiscal with 7,568 units to register robust 89% growth (April 2024: 4,003 units) and had a 14% share of M&M’s total SUV sales of 52,330 units for the month. The 3XO has maintained the same growth trajectory in May and June.
In FY2025, this model had sold 100,905 units and accounted for 18% of M&M’s record 551,487 units. In fact, it was Mahindra's second best-selling SUV in FY2025 after the Scorpio twins.
No. 13 – Hyundai Venue: 22,331 units, down 21%
The Hyundai Venue, the first compact SUV from Hyundai Motor India which sold 119,113 units in FY2025 and down 8% YoY, continues to be in the negative sales territory in the current fiscal. Q1 FY2026 sales at 22,331 units are down 21% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 28,337 units).
Demand has been flagging for the Venue, particularly after its sibling compact SUV, the Exter was launched a little under two years ago and new competition in the form of the Kia Syros and Skoda Kylaq. With the next-gen Venue, which will up the model’s desirability quotient, slated for launch only by end-2025 or early 2026, sales will most likely continue to be in the slow lane for the current model.
No. 14: Toyota Hyryder: 19,677 units, up 72%
Along with its own products, Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s resurgence in the UV market in the past two years is being driven by the four Maruti-rebadged models led by the Urban Cruiser Hyryder midsize SUV. Toyota Kirloskar Motor has, in the first three months of FY2026, dispatched an estimated 19,677 units, which marks stellar 72% YoY growth (Q1 FY2025: 11,433 units).
In April 2025, the Toyota Hyryder sold 4,632 units, up 43% and accounted for 19% of TKM’s 24,833 passenger vehicles. In May, the Hryder hit its best-ever monthly sales yet – 7,573 units – improving upon its previous best of 7,419 units in July 2024and went on to sell an estimated 7,462 units in June.
In FY2025, the Hyryder clocked 60,388 units, up 23% YoY, and was the company’s best-selling Maruti-rebadged model last fiscal. This model’s USP is its strong-hybrid petrol powertrain, aimed to fill the void created by the lack of a diesel engine and to also bridge the gap between petrol and EVs.
No. 15 – Mahindra XUV700: 19,444 units, up 14%
Mahindra & Mahindra’s feature-laden and big-on-safety flagship SUV, which is available with petrol and diesel engines and over 40 variants, remains a top draw for executive SUV buyers. The XUV700 sold 19,444 units in April-June 2025, up 14% (Q1 FY2025: 17,070 units) and comprised 15,065 diesel and 4,379 petrol variants, making for a 77:23 diesel-to-petrol ratio .
In FY2025, this flagship SUV clocked sales of 93,082 units, up 17% YoY (FY2024: 79,398 units), giving the model a 17% share of M&M’s record SUV sales of 551,487 units.
No. 16 – Maruti Grand Vitara: 19,179 units, down 29%
Demand for the Maruti Grand Vitara seems to be slowing down. Q1 FY2026 sales of 19,179 units are down sharply by 29% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 27,066 units). In early April this year, the company launched the updated MY2025 version equipped with six airbags as standard across all variants and a number of new safety, comfort and convenience features. It is understood that there is a three-row Grand Vitara in the pipeline but it won’t be available till end-2025.
In FY2025, the Grand Vitara had sold 123,946 units – up just 2% YoY (FY2024: 121,169 units) – to be the second best-selling Nexa-marketed SUV after the Maruti Fronx compact SUV.
No. 17 –Kia Carens / Clavis : 17,704 units, up 12%
Kia India’s high-on-space and comfort Carens MPV, which is a three-row derivative of the Seltos midsize SUV, has recently been joined by the Carens Clavis, a more upmarket sibling with more six- and seven-seater options. The Carens is now available in only two trim levels, with the more modern Clavis in focus.
The well-equipped Clavis, which comes with multiple 1.5-litre petrol and diesel powertrain options, offers comfortable seating in all three rows, a new interior, more tech and comfort features. There are 21 variants on offer – 14 petrol and 7 diesel – priced from Rs 13.47 lakh for the base petrol through to the top-end diesel (Rs 23.17 lakh, on-road Delhi).
The launch of the Clavis in May 2025 has seen a marked shift in the Carens’ monthly sales, rising from 5,259 units in April to 7,921 units in June 2025. In FY2025, the Carens had sold 64,609 units (up 2.3%), which means its Q1 FY2026 sales are 27% of last fiscal.
The Carens brand will get a further boost later this month when the electric avatar of the Clavis is launched on July 15. Kia India claims the Clavis EV has a 490km range and sports subtle EV-specific tweaks over its IC-engined sibling.
No. 18 – Kia Seltos: 17,442 units, down 12%
The Seltos midsize SUV, Kia’s first product in India which helped make a relatively unknown Korean brand in the country in 2019 a household name, continues to feel the heat of the growing midsize SUV competition. In the April-June 2025 period, the Seltos’ 17,442 units are down 12% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 19,776 units) and is currently ranked third in Kia India’s model line-up after the Sonet compact SUV (22,780 units) and the Carens / Carens Clavis (17,704 units). In FY2025, the Seltos’ 72,618 units were down by a substantial 28% YoY.
No. 19 – Hyundai Exter: 17,188 units, down 23%
Hyundai's second compact SUV after the Venue has sold 17,188 units in Q1 FY2026, down by a sizeable 23% YoY (Q1 FY2025: 22,361 units). This is clearly the impact of the much-increased competition in this ultra-competitive sub-segment of the SUV market.
In April this year, the Exter, which was launched in July 2023, drove past the 150,000 domestic market sales. However, sales have slowed down for the Exter – while the first 100,000 units were sold in 13 months, the next 50,000 units have taken 8 months. Till end-June 2025, total Exter domestic market sales are 165,899 units.
No. 20 – Skoda Kylaq: 13,509 units
The Kylaq, Skoda Auto India’s vehicle of entry into the booming compact SUV market, has already made an impact. Since February, it has become the company’s best-selling locally produced vehicle, ahead of the Kushaq SUV and Slavia sedan. In the April-June 20025 quarter, the Kylaq has sold 13,509 units. Aggressive pricing has been a key factor for the success of the Kylaq which has an ex-showroom price of Rs 825,000 through to Rs 13.99 lakh for the top-end variant
The most dynamically sorted compact SUV, as Autocar India calls it, the Kylaq’s highlights are space, performance and handling. The latest Skoda in town is a high-on-quality product that straddles multiple segments and competes against premium hatchbacks, compact SUVs, and compact sedans, targeting customers looking at a do-it-all family car with top-notch driving dynamics and safety features.
NOTABLE NEW MODEL MENTIONS:
MG Windsor EV: 11,448 units
Mahindra BE 6, XEV 9e: 11,023 units
Three all-electric models have narrowly missed entering the Top 20 list for Q1 FY2026 and are notable mentions. At No. 21 is the MG Windsor EV. JSW MG Motor India’s tech-laden spacious five-seater, which has taken the electric passenger vehicle market by storm, sold 11,448 units in the April-June 2025 quarter.
The Windsor EV, which comes with a range of segment-first features, lounge-like seating and a lifetime battery warranty along with the innovative Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) program user plan for its EVs, has given a new charge to JSW MG Motor India’s sales and also helped buffer the decline in sales for some of its other passenger vehicles, particularly the Hector midsize SUV.
In just about nine months since launch, the Windsor EV has clocked cumulative sales of 30,792 units. While it accounts for 59% of the company’s wholesales of 52,499 units in this period, the Windsor EV has helped the company close in on e-PV market leader Tata Motors in the retail market in the first half of this year.
Mahindra & Mahindra’s two new electric origin SUVs – the BE 6 and XUV 9e – have clocked cumulative sales of 11,023 units in the first quarter of FY2026. Monthly sales crossed the 4,000-unit mark for the first time in May (4,021 units) and maintained the same growth trajectory in June (4,011 units). For the first half of CY2025, the BE 6 and XEV 9e account for 6.33% of M&M’s record 301,194 SUV sales.