Rising SUV mix and strong demand lift Maruti Suzuki’s utility vehicle share
01 Jan 2026 | 6016 Views | By Kiran Murali and Ketan Thakkar
Maruti Suzuki said sport utility vehicles now account for nearly 30% of its overall sales, driven by strong demand for its mid-size SUV portfolio, led by the Grand Vitara and its derivative, the Victoris, as customer preference continues to shift toward utility vehicles.
Speaking at the company’s December sales ...
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Maruti Suzuki said sport utility vehicles now account for nearly 30% of its overall sales, driven by strong demand for its mid-size SUV portfolio, led by the Grand Vitara and its derivative, the Victoris, as customer preference continues to shift toward utility vehicles.
Speaking at the company’s December sales briefing, Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer – marketing and sales, said SUV penetration rose to 30.7% in the third quarter, up from 25.9% in the first half of the year, reflecting a steady change in buyer preference.
“In the third quarter, SUVs contributed around 30.7% of our sales. This is a clear indication of how customer preference is shifting toward utility vehicles,” Banerjee said.
The company said cumulative SUV sales crossed 500,000 units during the calendar year, with the Grand Vitara-based Victoris emerging as a key growth driver. The model has seen strong market acceptance, with around 70,000 bookings, of which about 35,000 units have already been delivered, Banerjee said.
The Grand Vitara itself continues to record healthy volumes, with retail sales of around 24,000 units in December, while maintaining healthy booking levels across the network.
The Brezza, another key pillar of Maruti Suzuki’s SUV portfolio, also continued to perform strongly, with more than a month’s worth of bookings, underscoring sustained demand in the compact SUV segment.
Banerjee said demand for SUVs remains strong across urban and nonurban markets, supported by improving affordability and a broader product portfolio.
“We are seeing strong traction across SUV segments, and the challenge for us is to balance production so that no one model is constrained at the cost of another,” he said.
Maruti Suzuki added that it will continue to calibrate production carefully as it scales up output, with inventory levels remaining tight across dealerships.
The SUV category continues to be the fastest-growing segment in the market, with the share of SUVs moving up to over 55% of the market in 2025 versus 53% of the market in 2024.