While SUVs are a rage, hatchbacks still make a lot of sense. With the most compact form, hatchbacks are the easiest to drive through the day-to-day city traffic, while the easy handling and ever more important, affordable prices add to their appeal. All this comes together to make hatchbacks the most practical cars for urban lifestyles. However, since SUVs have become the overwhelming choice, all other segments are seeing a considerable drop in their popularity and hatchbacks are no exception. September 2024 turned out to be another dull month for hatchbacks as most cars in the segment saw some drop in their year-on-year sales. Here are the top selling hatchbacks of September 2024.
Overview Table
Model | September Sales - 2024 | September Sales - 2023 | Y-O-Y Growth |
Maruti Suzuki Swift | 16,241 | 14,703 | 10% |
Maruti Suzuki Baleno | 14,292 | 18,417 | -22% |
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R | 13,339 | 16,250 | -18% |
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 | 8,655 | 7,791 | 11% |
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios | 5,103 | 5,223 | -2% |
Hyundai i20 | 4,428 | 6,481 | -32% |
Tata Tiago | 4,225 | 6,789 | -38% |
Toyota Glanza | 3,246 | 4,727 | -31% |
Maruti Suzuki Celerio | 3,241 | 3,246 | 0% |
Tata Altroz | 2,758 | 6,684 | -59% |
Maruti Suzuki Swift
Even though hatchbacks are not at the peak of their popularity, the iconic Maruti Swift never misses getting featured among the top selling cars. In September 2024, with a 10 percent growth in year-on-year sales, the Indo-Japanese hatchback became the top-selling hatchback and the second-best-selling car of the month with sales of 16,241 units. With one of the longest and most revered legacies in India, the Maruti is still an overwhelming favourite of buyers looking for a comfortable as well as sporty hatchback. Through the ages, the Maruti Swift has contemporarily evolved while aptly retaining the credentials which made it a ground-breaking success in the first place. Like its earlier generations, the latest generation of the Maruti Swift which was launched a few months ago, offers a sprightly powertrain, segment-leading space, and an appealing mileage.
The latest iteration of the Maruti Swift comes with an all-new 1.2-litre three-cylinder Z12E petrol engine mated to the same 5-speed manual gearbox and 5-speed AMT as before. Moreover, it delivers a lucrative mileage of 24.8 km/l with MT and 25.75 km/l with AMT. Currently, Maruti is not offering Swift in the CNG variant, however, it is expected to join the line-up later.
Also read: Top 10 selling cars in India
Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Since its launch in 2015, the Maruti Baleno has been a craze among premium hatchback seekers and went on to write an incredible success story. Along with a comfortable cabin, a refined powertrain, and an elegant appearance, the Baleno promises the unmatchable reliability that comes with the Maruti Suzuki badge. This deal turns even more attractive with the Baleno’s mileage which has made it one of the most fuel-efficient cars in India. Grabbing a spot on this list has never been a problem for the Baleno and even more so, it has often emerged as the best-selling car in India. Last month, despite seeing a 22 percent drop in its year-on-year performance, Baleno successfully outshined all its rivals by a huge margin with sales of 14,292 units.
Sharing its engine with the Maruti Swift, the Baleno features the same 1.2-litre Dualjet petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed AMT and is also available in CNG-powered variants. As far as mileage is concerned, the Baleno delivers 22.94 km/l from petrol and 30.61 km/kg from CNG.
Also read: Top selling SUVs in India
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R
When it comes to cars, every buyer first prefers a tried and trusted product and the Maruti Wagon R with a revered decades-long legacy becomes one of the go-to options. The oldest Maruti car, Wagon R has long been lauded as a practical car to drive through city traffic thanks to its boxy silhouette, easy handling, and fuel-efficient powertrains. With such calibre, the Maruti Wagon R is a popular choice among urban buyers as well as commercial fleet operators, and every month it emerges as one of the best-selling cars in India. Last month, with sales of 13,339 units the Wagon R became the third-best-selling hatchback, despite seeing an 18 percent drop from the 16,250 units it sold during the same month last year.
Maruti has equipped the Wagon R with two petrol engines: a 1-litre petrol engine and a 1.2-litre petrol engine. While both engines are coupled with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT, an optional CNG kit is also available with the 1-litre engine, which comes with only manual Transmission. The Maruti Wagon R delivers a mileage of 25.19 km/l from petrol and 34.05 km/kg from CNG.
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10
Whenever someone looks for an entry-level car in India, the iconic Maruti Alto seems a tried and trusted proposition that comes with the reliability of the industry leader, Maruti Suzuki. This is why the Alto has been and still is the overwhelming favourite of first-time car owners. While, like every other car, the Alto has also faced tight competition in the past, today it has negligible challenges before it as far as rivals are concerned. Despite not being at the peak of its popularity, the Alto is comfortably pulling admirable sales month after month. In September 2024, the Maruti Alto K10 sold 8,655 units, gaining an 11 percent growth in its year-on-year sales.
The mechanicals of Alto K10 include a 1-litre K10C petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and 5-speed automatic transmission. In terms of mileage, the Alto K10 delivers 24.39 – 24.90 km/l from petrol and 33.85 km/kg from CNG.
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios
After Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai has been the second-most-dominant player in the hatchback segment for a long time. Earlier, it was cars like the Santro and the i10 that were the champions of the Korean carmaker and now it is the Grand i10 Nios and the i20. The Grand i10 Nios being affordable of the two is closer to buyers looking for a capable Hyundai hatchback. With ample space, premium interiors and features, and refined powertrains, the Grand i10 Nios has long remained one of the best-selling hatchbacks and the strongest challenger to the Swift’s reign at the top. Clocking sales of 5,103 units in September 2024, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is yet again among the top 10 selling hatchbacks, despite seeing a 2 percent decline in its year-on-year sales.
Under the hood, the Grand i10 Nios brings a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. Moreover, like the Maruti Swift, the Grand i10 Nios is available in CNG-powered variants. With CNG the Grand i10 Nios deliver a mileage of 28 km/kg while its petrol mileage is up to 20.7 km/l.
Hyundai i20
High on style, comfort, and premium quotient, the Hyundai i20 has proven itself as the second best-selling premium hatchback and toughest rival to the Maruti Baleno’s reign at the top. However, due to the ever-growing popularity of compact SUVs, premium hatchbacks are not as popular as they used to be and the Hyundai i20 is no exception. Last month, the Korean hatchback saw a 32 percent decline in its year-on-year performance, selling 4,428 units. Nonetheless, the i20 is still shining bright as one of the best-selling hatchbacks. In addition to the standard i20, Hyundai sells the sportier Hyundai i20 N Line, offering a more exciting car in the segment.
In the i20 line-up, the standard i20 is offered with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic, while the i20 N Line comes with a 1-litre turbo petrol engine paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DCT automatic.
Tata Tiago
Tata’s contender in the hatchback race, Tiago has the segment-best safety as its calling card. With a 4-star G-NCAP rating, the Tata Tiago demonstrates its toughness while its stylish looks make for an eye-catching road presence. Moreover, being the only hatchback in India to be available in petrol-powered, CNG-powered, and electric-powered variants, the Tata Tiago caters to a wide variety of buyers. All the same, sales-wise the Tata Tiago has been seeing a downward trend but not enough that drops it out of this list. In September 2024, with 4,225 units sold the Tata Tiago once again became one of the best-selling hatchbacks, despite seeing a 38 percent year-on-year decline.
The powertrain options of the Tata Tiago consist of a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. The CNG variants also come with a manual transmission and an AMT and can run 26.49 km/kg, while the Tiago EV comes with two battery options: a 19.2 kWh battery pack and a 24 kWh battery pack that have claimed ranges of 250 km and 315 km respectively.
Also read: Top selling car brands in India
Toyota Glanza
The Toyota Glanza is Toyota’s version of the Maruti Baleno and to those who prefer Toyota over Maruti, it gives a great option to own the same car with a Toyota badge. In the last year or so, Glanza’s popularity has been on an impressive rise and the Japanese premium hatchback started featuring on the list of best-selling hatchbacks. This time around, it reached this list with sales of 3,246 units in September 2024, despite seeing a 31 percent decline from its sales during the same month the year before.
Maruti Suzuki Celerio
The low-key contender from the largest car brand in India, Maruti Celerio sold 3,241 units in September 2024. While these sales figures gave it negligible growth in its year-on-year sales, the hatchback managed to seize a spot on this list. Popular as one of the most fuel-efficient cars in India, the Celerio delivers a mileage of 25.24 – 26.68 km/l from petrol and 35.6 km/kg from CNG, while its bubbly design makes it a cute-looking urban car. Moreover, the Celerio is a tad more spacious than the segment-leader Wagon R and offers excellent driving ease that along with its compact size makes it meet most urban driving requirements.
For engine option, the Maruti Celerio comes with a 1-litre petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT.
Tata Altroz
Stylish looks, a premium ride experience, and a strong body rated 5-star by the Global NCAP are the traits that define the appeal of the Tata Altroz. Moreover, the Indian premium hatchback is one of the safest cars in India, and the only diesel-powered premium hatchback in India. All this favours it a great deal in healthily minting money for the Indian carmaker and comfortably placing itself on this list every month. Nonetheless, like most hatchbacks, the Altroz is witnessing a decline in popularity because of the ever-rising demand for SUVs. In September 2024, the Altroz saw a 59 percent drop in its year-on-year sales, with sales of 2,758 units.
The Altroz comes equipped with three engines: a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine. All three engines are paired with a 5-speed manual transmission as standard, while the naturally aspirated petrol engine also comes with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Additionally, the Altroz is also available in CNG-powered variants that deliver a mileage of 26.2 km/kg.
