(Image source from: x.com/TataMotors_Cars)
For the first time in 40 years, India's best-selling car will not bear the Maruti Suzuki badge. Tata Motors' subcompact SUV Punch has overtaken Maruti Suzuki's Wagon R and Swift to become the best-selling car in the country in 2024. Tata Motors will sell more than 2.02 million units of the Tata Punch in 2024, surpassing the Wagon R. 1.91 million units were sold. Three of the five best-selling domestic cars in 2024 were SUVs. Dr. Shailesh Chandra, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. reflecting the performance in calendar year 2024, saying that strong and sustained growth in the SUV segment contributed to the solar energy industry's sales volume. It is expected to reach 4.3 million units. Engine traction compatible with emissions. Launched in 2021, Punch has an SUV appearance, an upright stance, a ground clearance of 190mm and an excellent driving position of 3.8m, creating an entirely new sub-segment in the sub-4m SUV category.
The footprint makes this segment an ideal alternative for those looking to buy a hatchback like the Maruti Swift. Due to these features, the Tata Punch started selling more than 10,000 units per month and became the 10th best-selling car in 2022. In terms of footprint, features and price, Exter and Punch are comparable. Sales of Hyundai and Tata are almost the same. However, the Hyundai Xstar in 2024 couldn't offer even half the volume of the Tata Punch. India's shift to luxury cars is a litmus test for Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest low-cost carmaker. Limited options for SUVs, especially at prices above Rs 10 lakh, dented Maruti Suzuki's market share. Please think about it. In 2018, before the pandemic, the Indian industry had its best year ever with 33.49 million vehicles sold. With a 52% share of the Indian market, Maruti has sold more cars than its competitors combined. And all the top five best-selling products were from the Maruti stable.
In 2024, when the Indian industry hit a new high of around 42.86 million car sales post-pandemic, Maruti's market share not only fell to 41% but also lost India's best-selling car. In the post-independence period, Hindustan Motors' Ambassador was India's second best-selling product at the time, sharing the top spot along with the Premier Padmini for almost three decades.
But in 1985, Suzuki's modern, reliable and affordable offering, the Maruti 800, would become a bestseller for years to come. The next 40 years were dominated by Maruti Suzuki, which went from strength to strength even as the market opened up to other foreign competitors in the post-1990s liberalization era. After the Maruti 800, its spiritual successor, the Alto, remained the best seller for 13 years and achieved its highest sales of 3,11,367 units in 2011. This is the highest sales in the Indian auto industry in a calendar year. However, since 2018, the situation has changed rapidly due to evolving regulations such as the transition from BS IV to BS VI and mandatory airbags. The number one spot is between several Maruti products, from the sub-4 m Dzire to the premium hatchback Swift and Wagon R. The 2024 top five list shows that the shift in choice towards SUVs is not just affecting car brands. The same applies to the model and market share.
