Highlights:
SUV/Crossover body styled products now command a 42% share of the Indian passenger vehicle market.
The hatchback segment is now reduced to 35% due to a lack of demand for entry-level products.
MUVs' share remained flat, while sedans gained some lost ground.
Body style market share
SUV/Crossover body styled products now command a 42% share due to Indian consumers new found obsession
Hatchbacks lost considerable ground to new-age crossovers
Maruti Ertiga, the XL6 facelift, and the new KIA Carens launched in 2022 have kept the overall MUV market share constant.
Sedans have gained some lost ground due to the CNG option and improved sales of the Maruti Dzire.
Body style volume growth
Monocoque chassis SUV/crossover/MUV volume grew at a rapid rate.
Ladder chassis UV demand remained flat.
Sedan and hatchback could not reach back to their pre-pandemic level.
However, the sub 4m hatchback segment reached back to its previous best level of 2018.
Sedan segment volume is purely driven by the sub-4m segment while other segments became insignificant due to crossover obsession.
High growth segments
There are three segments that are growing at breakneck speed. This is largely due to several new products introduced in the recent past to cater to the new-found obsession of Indian customers for SUVfication.
4m crossover:
This segment has witnessed phenomenal growth in recent times. Tata Nexon became a segment leader with 25% share, and the EV drivetrain gave it an edge over the competition. Maruti and Toyota together had a similar 25% share, and the new tech-loaded Brezza gained good traction in H2 2022. The combined share of Hyundai-KIA with multiple drivetrain offerings stood at 31%. Renault-Nissan commands 9% of the market with its value-for-money offering, making the segment more accessible to customers with low budgets. Mahindra XUV 300 launched around the same time as Hyundai Venue, however, is reduced to just 9% share.
In 2022, this segment also witnessed cascading of features from the higher segments, like – the heads-up-display in the new generation Maruti Brezza and the electrically adjustable driver seat in the Hyundai Venue facelift.
Mid-size SUV/Crossover (~4.3m)
Entry of new products from Maruti-Toyota, Skoda-Volkswagen, and MG have expanded the segment further. Still, the segment is strongly dominated by Hyundai-KIA (67%), and Hyundai is selling even more Creta than ever before, and that too without discounts.
Toyota along with Maruti has added a new strong-hybrid technology option for the masses in 2022 with Hyryder & Grand Vitara entry, as an alternative to the diesel offering of Hyundai-KIA, for fuel efficiency focused customers. Maruti-Toyota also introduced the segment's first CNG option too. Toyota-Maruti only offers AWD technology in this segment. In this segment, the panoramic sunroof option has become a new standard as it strongly draws family-oriented buyers.
Large-size SUV/Crossover(4.5m+)
Blockbuster entry of the all-rounded Mahindra XUV 700 has fueled the segment growth. Mahindra only offers AWD technology in this segment. The combined share of Tata products was 32% in 2022.