Maruti Suzuki’s Dzire emerged as India’s highest-selling passenger vehicle in calendar year 2025, standing out in a market increasingly dominated by sport utility vehicles, which together accounted for a record 55.3% of total industry volumes.
The compact sedan clocked sales of around 2.14 lakh units during the year, retaining its leadership even as consumer preference continued to shift decisively toward higher-riding vehicles. The Hyundai Creta and Tata Nexon followed closely, with sales of about 2.01 lakh units each, underscoring the scale achieved by SUVs across price segments.
Efficiency Over Utility
At Maruti Suzuki’s December sales briefing, Partho Banerji, senior executive officer for marketing and sales, said the Dzire’s performance reaffirmed the importance of fundamentals such as pricing, efficiency and ownership economics. Despite intense competition in the SUV segment, he said, customers continue to reward products that deliver a clear value proposition. The Dzire’s resilience reflects steady demand for compact sedans among private buyers and fleet operators, driven by fuel efficiency, lower acquisition costs and manageable running expenses. The model is offered with petrol and petrol-CNG powertrains for retail customers, alongside the Tour S variant aimed at institutional buyers. While rivals such as the Honda Amaze and Hyundai Aura remain in the fray, the segment as a whole has steadily ceded ground to SUVs over the past few years.
SUV Juggernaut
Initial data for CY2025 highlights a major SUV shift. Seven of the 10 best-selling models during the entire year were SUVs or SUV-inspired crossovers. Apart from the Creta and Nexon, models such as the Scorpio (1.77 lakh units), Brezza (1.75 lakh), Punch (1.73 lakh) and Fronx (1.80 lakh) recorded strong volumes, reflecting rising acceptance of utility vehicles across urban and semi-urban markets.
Even so, non-SUV body styles continued to deliver scale. The Wagon R sold about 1.94 lakh units during the year, while the Swift clocked nearly 1.89 lakh units. The Maurti Ertiga MPV remained a consistent performer with sales of around 1.92 lakh units, highlighting the continued relevance of practical, value-oriented products. Within Maruti Suzuki’s own model line-up, SUVs are gaining share rapidly. The company’s SUV contribution rose to 30.7% in the third quarter of the fiscal year, from 25.9% in the first half. Its SUV line-up, led by the Grand Vitara and the Victoris, crossed 5 lakh cumulative sales in 2025, reflecting strong demand as buyers increasingly gravitate toward larger body styles.
At the same time, hatchbacks continued to anchor volumes. The Baleno emerged as Maruti Suzuki’s top-selling model in December 2025, with dispatches of 22,108 units, pointing to sustained interest in the premium hatchback segment. Maruti Suzuki said demand in the entry and compact segments has improved following a reset in GST rates and easing financing conditions. The entry-level hatchback segment that has models like the Alto K10 and the SPresso now accounts for 6.2% of total sales, supported by the return of first-time buyers. Dealer inventory levels remain lean at around three days, as the company continues to balance production across segments.
Looking ahead, Maruti Suzuki expects India’s passenger vehicle market to be shaped by a more diversified demand mix in 2026, with SUVs expanding further even as value-led hatchbacks and sedans continue to play a critical role.
