Nexa, the premium car sales channel of Maruti Suzuki, is slowing down. An analysis of January-October 2025 sales data vis-à-vis the same period last year shows that sales of Nexa models dropped 6.5%, from 4,58,058 units to 4,28,472 units, even as sales of the mass-market Arena channel increased marginally by 0.25%, from 10,25,939 units to 10,28,426 units.
Automotive analysts pointed out that while Maruti Suzuki’s overall sales have been under pressure, its premium arm has taken a bigger hit from carmakers such as Mahindra, Hyundai, and Tata Motors —all of whom mostly play in the midweight to premium segment. Model-by-model analysis of Nexa cars shows that barring the Fronx and Invicto, sales of all cars dropped.
SUVs and MPVs Hit Hard
Midsize SUV Grand Vitara witnessed the biggest drop—of 20.1%, from 1,05,506 units to 84,273 units. Once touted as a competitor to Hyundai Creta, the Grand Vitara has also been hit by other SUVs such as Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, Toyota Hyryder, and Volkswagen Taigun. Of late, its sales have also been impacted by Maruti Suzuki Victoris—an SUV sold by the Arena channel, but which shares platform and engines with the Grand Vitara.
The second biggest drop is with the Baleno—once India’s largest selling car—whose sales dropped by almost 10,000 units, or 6.8%, from 1,46,689 units to 1,36,664 units, primarily because the SUV model based on the Baleno, the Fronx, is seeing rising demand, at the expense of the Baleno.
Intensifying Competition and Cannibalisation
Even though the Fronx is Rs 80,000-90,000 costlier than the Baleno, variant-to-variant, a Gurgaon-based dealer told FE that because both the models are displayed in the same showroom, people tend to choose the Fronx, also considering that when it comes to EMI, the difference is a little over Rs 2,000.
Sales of Maruti Suzuki’s premium MPV, the XL6, dropped 16.2%—from 35,716 units to 29,944 units—and it has been largely impacted by Kia’s Carens Clavis. In addition, Maruti Suzuki discontinued its premium sedan, the Ciaz, in July, following which those numbers also disappeared.
The rugged Jimny – with which Maruti Suzuki planned on take on Mahindra Thar – has dropped 37.6% (from 6,646 units to 4,146 units), even as Mahindra has sold 97,092 units till now this year, a massive increase of 37.5% over last year’s 60,646 units.
Sales of Maruti Suzuki’s most expensive car, the Invicto priced Rs 25 lakh onwards, increased 9.6% (from 2,757 units to 3,022 units), but these are meagre numbers to make a positive impact on the carmaker’s overall sales.
Analysts said the car market is seeing a golden age of new launches, especially in the SUV and crossover segments where Nexa has placed its bets, but that also means increased competition. Going forward, the company’s Victoris sold through the Arena channel is expected to further hit the sales of the Grand Vitara – in October, the Victoris sold 13,496 units, even as the Grand Vitara could manage 10,409 units.
Although Nexa will soon see an addition to its portfolio – in the form of Maruti Suzuki’s first EV, the e-Vitara – it remains to be seen if it will help the Nexa portfolio.