FY26 is officially the year when Maruti Suzuki ceased to be a hatchback car company. Sales data sourced from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) shows that, in the 11 months of FY26, the carmaker has sold 689,631
utility vehicles (SUVs plus MPVs), which is 60,673 units more than the 628,958 hatchbacks it sold during the same period.
Just two years ago, in FY24, the carmaker’s hatchbacks (805,593 units) had a healthy lead of 163,297 units over UVs (642,296), but this reduced to 11,302 units in FY25 (731,486 hatchbacks versus 720,184 UVs). Finally UVs are set to beat hatchbacks in FY26.
Great Pivot
Automotive analysts noted that the small car has defined the company’s identity, but that era is now coming to an end. Gaurav Vangaal, associate director, Light Vehicle Forecasting, S&P Global Mobility, told FE that the carmaker has successfully pivoted to SUVs and MPVs.
“Maruti Suzuki may have been late in recognising the SUV opportunity, but it has since delivered the right mix of products—from the Brezza to the Grand Vitara and now to the Victoris. What’s notable is that despite not offering diesel variants, the carmaker has successfully sustained volumes through CNG, petrol, and hybrid options,” he said. “With multiple new UV launches in the pipeline, the company is well-positioned to ride the continued consumer shift towards SUVs and MPVs.”
Fronx and Victoris Factor
While the Brezza has been among top-selling compact SUVs, the Fronx—a crossover based on the Baleno—has been a runaway success, regularly outselling the Baleno. In fact, since its launch in April 2023, the Fronx has sold 457,774 units— slightly less than the 518,936 units sold by the Baleno, despite the Fronx being almost a lakh rupee pricier, variant to variant.
Apart from these two models, the Victoris has been another success story for Maruti Suzuki. Since its launch in September 2025, this midsize SUV has sold 64,528 units, at a monthly average of more than 10,000 units.
What has also helped the carmaker is the continuing success of the Ertiga. In the 11 months of FY27, the MPV sold 181,804 units, at a monthly average of over 16,000 units.
It’s not that the carmaker’s hatches aren’t doing well—the Wagon R, Swift, and Baleno are consistently among India’s top-10 cars—but they aren’t able to match the success of the company’s UVs. With the Brezza facelift coming in mid-2026, and the Fronx hybrid shortly after that, the sales share of Maruti Suzuki’s UVs is set to rise.
