While Maruti Suzuki remains the undisputed market leader, not every car in its stable is a success. Competitors have identified Maruti Suzuki’s weaker models, and are stealing market share. An example is Maruti Suzuki’s XL6 – the premium, Nexa sibling of the Ertiga. Despite its stellar fuel efficiency, the XL6 has been consistently outsold by Kia’s Carens over the last three fiscal years.
While both vehicles occupy similar garage space, the FY24 to FY26 sales data sourced from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) reveals two starkly different trajectories.
The widening sales gap
Over the last three years, the Carens – boosted by its upgraded variant, the Carens Clavis – hasn’t just led the race; it has sprinted away.
In FY24, the Carens outpaced the XL6 by 17,833 units, securing 63,167 units in sales compared to the XL6’s 45,334 units.
In FY25, this gap widened to 27,498 units. Carens sales climbed to 64,609 units, while the XL6 witnessed a drop, settling at 37,111 units.
FY26 was a killer – powered by the launch of the Carens Clavis and its EV version, Kia’s MPV sales shot up to 76,837 units. This allowed it to sell more than double the XL6, which plateaued at 37,159 units.
With a cumulative three-year total of 204,613 units against the XL6’s 119,604 units, Kia is now effectively moving two units for every single XL6 sold.
The power of fuel choice
The XL6 is an exceptional car. Its 1.5-litre petrol engine returns a claimed efficiency of 20.9 km/litre, while the factory-fitted CNG variant delivers 26.23 km/kg. It is also priced highly competitively, with petrol variants ranging from Rs 11.52-14.47 lakh, and the CNG trim priced at Rs 12.43 lakh.
The Carens lineup, on the other hand, starts at Rs 11 lakh for the base model, moves to Rs 11.21-21.57 lakh for the Carens Clavis, and tops out at Rs 17.99-24.99 lakh for the Carens Clavis EV.
An area Kia has a competitive edge over the XL6 is fuel choice – as the Carens is available in petrol, diesel, electric, and even CNG as a dealer-level fitment, catering to every type of buyer.
Premium versus bespoke
The XL6 is tailored for buyers who value the Ertiga’s utility but want a more premium cabin and SUV-ish design. It gets smart features like air-cooled cup holders, an incredibly quiet cabin with low NVH levels, and the lounge-like comfort of second-row captain seats, and is a value proposition that is hard to ignore.
But the Carens Clavis has rewritten the MPV playbook by blurring the lines between an MPV and an SUV – aligning with Kia’s positioning of the vehicle as an RV (recreational vehicle). The cabin feels like a neat apartment designed by a master architect, where every inch of living space is highly usable and looks classy. The third row isn’t a cramped penalty box, but a genuine seating area made effortlessly accessible via a one-touch electronic tumble seat.
Efficiency versus power
While the XL6 doubles down on efficiency, the Carens Clavis leans heavily into performance. Its potent 1.5-litre turbo-petrol variant hits 0-100 km/h in just 10 seconds. Kia also has a tech-heavy cabin featuring a panoramic sunroof, premium Bose sound system, and a retractable laptop tray. These lifestyle features explain why modern buyers are increasingly willing to overlook the vehicle’s relatively lower fuel efficiency (10-14 km/litre in petrol, and slightly higher in diesel) in favour of outright power and a sublime, premium experience. For those prioritizing zero-emission running costs, the Carens Clavis EV stands ready.
A Changing of the Guard
This apples-to-apples comparison reveals a distinct shift in the aspirations of the Indian car buyer. The XL6 remains the undisputed king of fuss-free ownership and running efficiency. However, the meteoric rise of the Carens to over 76,000 annual units in FY26 proves that the market is actively gravitating towards more—more power, more features, and a more commanding road presence.
