Best Selling SUVs In India in October 2021

Just like how a report card by the end of each academic year does not gauge a student’s talent, similarly, the sales report of the models and manufacturers does not describe how good a car is. But both can be used to track the progress of a student or a vehicle. This article shows the list of best-selling SUVs in India in October 2021 and how they fare compared to the same time last year.

Here is the table format that summarizes the entire report and gives most of the information at a glance.

1. Hyundai Venue
   

   

   The Korean manufacturer, Hyundai’s Venue, is leading the pack with 10,554 units while selling 8,828 units at the same time last year. This is a 20% YoY growth with more customers luring in to buy this all-rounder. It is the best SUV with the least compromise on anything in your checkbox. It has unique styling, excellent handling, has more features than you can ask for, and an endless combination of engine and transmission options. No wonder it sells like hotcakes.

2. Kia Seltos
   

   

   Another Korean manufacturer, Kia, has made good progress with its first-ever product in the Indian market. The Seltos comes second with 10,448 units sold in October 2021, against 8,900 units sold the same month last year. This amounts to an 18% YoY growth in sales volume. Apart from the disastrous 3-star rating at the Global NCAP, everything else is 5-star in this SUV. Be it the uber-cool looks, the laundry list of features, an endless combination of powertrain options, everything is 5-star and above. We hope Kia makes the next generation safer, and then there will be nothing in its segment better than this Urban-SUV.

3. Tata Nexon
   

   

   The first Indian product on the list comes in at number 3. Tata Nexon, one of the safest cars in India, is finally getting the due credit it should be receiving for everything it offers. Its styling is butch and means business, has good handling characteristics, gets turbo in both petrol and diesel as standard, and feels like a tank from the inside. It managed to sell 10,096 units last month against 6,888 units in October 2020. This is a remarkable 47% YoY growth for the product. Hopefully, Indians will start giving safety a higher priority and push the manufacturers to improve safety standards on their products.

4. Tata Punch
   

   

   The most awaited Micro-SUV of the year, the Tata Punch, slots in 4th just below its elder sibling by selling 8,453 units. This is a testimony to the fact that Tata is coming up with more exciting products and reading the market demands very carefully. The Punch is a great product, and its reviews are fantastic from every auto enthusiast, but the icing on the cake is definitely the 5-star crash test rating that the Punch achieved. It is officially the safest car in India, and it managed to beat the XUV300 by just a few points. Now that Tata is getting traction on its products, we believe it should start concentrating on the after-sales service, which many customers say is a hit or miss and is not consistent as well.

   Get your car serviced at GoMechanic.

   

5. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
   

   

   The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza comes in at number 5 on the list of best-selling SUVs in October 2021, with a total of 8,032 units. This is substantially lesser than the 12,087 units sold in October last year, which marks the first product with a negative YoY growth of -34% on this list. The sales continue to decline, and we believe it is the result of Maruti Suzuki discontinuing the diesel engine, which was the highlight of its previous version. Maruti Suzuki has dismissed the claims of developing a BS6 compliant oil-burner and does not have a turbo-petrol option as well, which limits the choice to the in-house developed 1.5-liter Naturally aspirated petrol engine. It is a good engine but not enough to keep up with the competition.

6. Hyundai Creta
   

   

   The second product from Hyundai on the list of best-selling SUVs in October 2021 is the Creta which slots in at number 6. The Hyundai Creta has the highest downfall on this list, from selling a whopping 14,023 units in October 2020 to just 6,455 units last month, which is a staggering -54% YoY growth. Hyundai can frown all it wants on Tata for stealing their numbers, but we support Tata for giving us safer products than fancy luxurious tin cans on wheels. No offense Hyundai but you need to pull your socks and work on more safety aspects with a more rigid chassis and better-engineered crumpling zones to start with.

7. Kia Sonet
   

   

   It looks like the Korean manufacturers are doing very well in India, with Kia Sonet being their 4th product on this list and Kia’s second product. The Sonet managed to sell 5,443 units last month against 11,721 same time the previous year, which is a massive loss of -54% YoY. This pushes it down to number 7 on the list of best-selling SUVs in October 2021. The Sonet is undoubtedly the best-looking SUV on this list and has an amazing cabin as well, apart from which everything else is shared with the Venue. We are not sure what led to the decline of this product, and the chip shortage seems to be playing a significant role.

8. Mahindra XUV300
   

   

   Mahindra XUV300 is at number 8 on the list of best-selling SUVs in October 2021, which managed to sell 4,203 units against 4,882 units last year. This is a -14% YoY loss, which is negligible, but Mahindra seems to be soldiering on with decent sales. Irrespective of the numbers, the Mahindra XUV300 is a great product and is the most enthusiast-oriented driver’s car on this list. Its performance is mind-blowing and is hands down the best handling car in the market, which comes with an anti-roll bar suspension as standard equipment. We believe the chip shortage across the industry and the higher asking price is the reason for its low sales.

9. Mahindra XUV700
   

   

   The latest entrant to the market, the Mahindra XUV700, has already made its way to the top 10 list of best-selling SUVs in October 2021. It managed to sell 3,407 units in its debut month, and we believe it would have sold more if it wasn’t affected by the semiconductor shortage; we are confident about it after seeing the 70,000 bookings that it has garnered. Ideally, it can be called India’s SUV as it has one variant that will suit almost every Indian’s requirement if they are looking for an SUV. Right from 5-seater and 7-seater variants to the number of powertrain options, the variants are extensive.

10. Nissan Magnite
    

    

    The Nissan Magnite is Nissan’s hope for surviving in India, and Nissan is betting big on it. It did manage to top the charts for a few months but then got pushed to the tenth position on the list of best-selling SUVs in October 2021, with a total of 3,389 units being sold. It is one of the most affordable compact SUVs in the market and has scored a decent 4-stars in the Global NCAP crash test ratings. We believe an upgrade on the interiors in its next generation should help it rise on this list.

When the sales are classified based on body types, the SUVs come second after hatchbacks that top the list. However, the trend seems to be changing, with SUVs gaining traction every day and the hatchbacks taking the fall for it. Although SUVs are great and can be owned as the only car in your garage that meets all your requirements, we think that other cars also should be given equal priority. We are not forcing buyers to go for sedans or hatchbacks, but people need to consider other options as well before putting down their cheques on Pseudo-SUVs.

Let us know in the comments below what you feel about the list and the uprising popularity of SUVs in India.