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 and what complements their potency is the easy handling and ever more important, affordable prices. All this comes together to make hatchbacks the most practical cars for urban lifestyles and keep them relevant amidst the ever-rising popularity of SUVs. Nonetheless, it’s no secret that the expanding SUV space is eating into other segments and hatchbacks are no exception. The category as a whole is seeing a serious decline in popularity as well as demand and so is reflected in their sales figures. Here are the top selling hatchbacks of November 2024.
Overview Table
Model | November Sales - 2024 | November Sales - 2023 | Y-O-Y Growth |
Maruti Suzuki Baleno | 16,293 | 12,961 | 26% |
Maruti Suzuki Swift | 14,737 | 15,311 | -4% |
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R | 13,982 | 16,567 | -16% |
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 | 7,467 | 8,076 | -8% |
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios | 5,667 | 4,708 | 20% |
Tata Tiago | 5,319 | 5,508 | -3% |
Hyundai i20 | 3,925 | 5,727 | -31% |
Toyota Glanza | 3,806 | 3,950 | -4% |
Maruti Suzuki Celerio | 2,379 | 2,215 | 7% |
Maruti Suzuki S-Presso | 2,283 | 1,883 | 21% |
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, seeing a 26 percent rise in its year-on-year sales, Baleno took the throne of the best-selling hatchback with sales of 16,293 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.
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 November 2024, despite a 4 percent decline in year-on-year sales, the Indo-Japanese hatchback became the second-best-selling hatchback and the eighth-best-selling car of the month with sales of 14,737 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.
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 longest-running 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 13,982 units the Wagon R became the third-best-selling hatchback; despite seeing a 16 percent drop from the 16,567 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
Being the entry-level car of the biggest car brand in India, the Maruti Alto has long been the first choice of many first-time car buyers. With over 40 lakh units sold in its lifetime, the Maruti Alto has reached a peak of success that is highly unlikely to be touched by any other car. The main attraction of Alto lies in its city-friendly dimensions, ample space to accommodate a small family and economical mileage. 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 in admirable sales month after month. In November 2024, the Maruti Alto sold 7,467 units and while this is an 8 percent year-on-year drop, it positioned itself as the fourth-best-selling hatchback in India.
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
For the longest time, the Grand i10 Nios has been the strongest challenger of the iconic Maruti Swift. With decent space, premium interiors and features, and refined powertrains, the Grand i10 Nios delivers a premium experience expected of Hyundai cars. Last year, this Korean hatchback received a facelift that gave it a more aggressive look and this year Hyundai standardised six airbags across variants of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. On the sales front, Grand i10 Nios does a decent job and is a permanent member of this list. Clocking sales of 5,667 units in November 2024, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is yet again among the top 10 selling hatchbacks, and with such sales, the hatchback saw a 20 percent growth in year-on-year performance.
Speaking of engines, the Grand i10 Nios is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. Moreover, the Grand i10 Nios is available in CNG-powered variants that deliver a mileage of 28 km/kg, while its petrol mileage is up to 20.7 km/l.
Tata Tiago
Competing with Maruti and Hyundai, especially in the hatchback segment is not an easy task. Yet the Tata Tiago has built a respectable territory and made itself one of the most sought-after cars in the segment. Along with solid passenger safety with its 4-star G-NCAP safety rating, the Tata Tiago offers an eye-catching road appearance and a comfortable family-friendly drive. Nevertheless, like most hatchbacks, the Tiago did not sell as well as it had in June last year. In November 2024, the hatchback collected sales of 5,319 units and saw a 3 percent decline from its sales in November 2023.
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 come with the same transmission options 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.
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 31 percent decline in its year-on-year performance, selling 3,923 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.
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. Lately, 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 3,806 units in November 2024, seeing a 3 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 2,379 units in November 2024. These sales figures gave it a 7 percent growth in its year-on-year sales and made the hatchback 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.
Maruti Suzuki S-Presso
Like the Maruti Celerio, the Maruti S-Presso usually remains away from the limelight. The hatchback has been around since 2018 and has proven itself to be yet another fuel-efficient as well as cost-efficient car from Maruti. While its unorthodox design does not suit everyone’s taste, it often manages to attract considerable volumes. Last month, the S-Presso climbed its way to feature on this list and sold 2,283 units, which helped it see a 21 percent growth in its year-on-year sales.
The Maruti S-Presso is equipped with a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. Like most Maruti cars, the S-Presso is available in CNG variants which deliver a mileage of up to 32 km/kg.
