The SUV segment has outperformed the popular hatchback segment by a fair margin. The SUV segment posted sales of 54,323 units in September, while the hatchback segment achieved sales of 53,569 units in the same period. The ever-increasing demand for SUVs is a clear indication of buyer preference. In addition, almost every automaker has expanded its product range with the best SUVs in India options.
Here are the five best SUVs in India in September:
Kia Seltos
The Kia Seltos, the best-selling car in the country last month, is the third best-selling car in terms of cumulative sales figures. Interestingly, Seltos also managed to outperform the popular brand in this segment, Hyundai Creta by a fair margin. It's worth noting that Hyundai attributes this drop in sales to the global shortage of semiconductors.
Tata Nexon
The Nexon is a popular name in this class of compact SUVs from Tata. The car is available in petrol and diesel engine options. Instead, customers also opted for the all-electric drivetrain, the Nexon EV last month. In terms of cumulative sales, the Tata Nexon is the fourth best-selling model in the country. The Tata Nexon has been a huge success, posting a staggering 53 percent growth in sales with 9,211 units sold domestically in September 2021 compared to sales of 6,007 units in the same period last year.
Hyundai Creta
Hyundai Creta, the undisputed leader in this segment, has now fallen to third place in the SUV segment. Hyundai posted a 34 percent drop in sales with 8,193 units sold last month compared to 12,325 units sold in September 2020. Under the hood, the Hyundai Creta is available with three engine options: the 1.5-liter MPi from gasoline (six-speed MT). / IVT), a 1.5-liter U2 CRDi diesel (MT six-speed / AT six-speed) and a 1.4-liter petrol Kappa Turbo GDi (seven DCT). To enhance the overall driving experience, the new Creta offers three driving modes: Eco, Sport, Comfort, and Traction Control (Snow, Sand, and Mud) modes.
Hyundai Venue
Hyundai Venue is the fourth-best SUV in India and the second most popular model in the compact SUV segment. In September, Venue reportedly sold 7,924 units compared to 8,469 units sold in the same period last year, recording a six percent drop in sales last month. The Venue is powered by a 1.5-liter diesel engine that produces 9bhp and 240Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The 1.0-liter Turbo GDi engine is the most powerful and produces 118bhp/172Nm of torque. Alternatively,customers can also choose a 1.2-liter gasoline engine that develops 82bhp at 6000rpm.
Kia Sonet
Sales of the Kia Sonet declined significantly in September 2021. The company posted a 52 percent drop in sales last month with sales of 4,452 units compared to sales of 9,266 units in the same period last year. Sonet works with existing petrol and diesel options. The 1.2-liter naturally-aspirated, four-cylinder engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission to generate 81bhp and 115Nm, while the 1.0-liter turbo-petrol engine mated either to a six-speed iMT unit or a seven-speed DCT unit produces 117bhp and 172Nm. The 1.5-liter four-cylinder diesel unit generates 99bhp and 240Nm and can be paired either with a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission (AT generates 113bhp/250Nm).
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