With the industry sales numbers out for the first half of FY2022, it’s always interesting to find out who’s on top and who’s down, particularly the the movers and shakers at India Auto Inc’s most happening segment on four wheels – Utility Vehicles (UVs).

UVs currently have taken charge of the PV market. In September 2021, with sale of 87,720 units, they comprised 55% of total PV sales of 160,070 units. In the April-September 2021 period, cumulative UV sales of 653,549 units accounted for 47% of total PV sales of 1,387,572 units. Cars with 681,130 units (49%) and 52,893 vans (3.81%) made up the balance.

Between April-September 2021, a total of 653,549 units were sold, a handsome 93 % increase on H1 FY2021 numbers (337,831 units) albeit a year ago the market situation was vastly different, impacted as it was by the Covid-19 pandemic, dampened consumer sentiment and lockdowns across the country.

Passenger vehicle market leader Maruti Suzuki, with 135,079 units, remains the UV market share leader in H1 FY2022 with 20.67%. It is ahead of Hyundai Motor India which sold 122,700 units, which gives the Korean carmaker a share of 18.77%. For Hyundai, the Creta (63,721) and Venue (45,436) were the high sellers in the first six months of the ongoing fiscal. 

Third-placed Mahindra & Mahindra currently has a 14.08% share with its 92,016 units but has Kia India hard on its heels with 13.52% and 88,383 units. For Kia, the Seltos (46,097) and Sonet (40,195) were the popular buys. 

But the big news is the only other UV player with double-digit market share. Tata Motors with 74,120 units and 11.34% UV market share is currently No. 5 in the pecking order. H1 FY2022 marks Tata Motors opening of double-digit UV market share, indicative of the company’s strong performance in the first half of the year. 

Importantly, in India's ultra-competitive UV market, while the top four UV players have seen a year-on-year market share decline, Tata Motors has seen its UV share grow by four percentage points from 7.23% in April-September 2020 to 11.34% in H1 FY2022. The popular Nexon compact SUV with sales of 50,914 units accounts for the bulk of sales or 69% of total Tata UV sales in first half FY2022.