September 2024: Top Selling SUVs in India

SUVs symbolise power and authority that infuse their owners with an inexplicable confidence. Moreover, with their spacious cabins and cutting-edge features, SUVs effortlessly accommodate families, friends, and all their adventures. This is why Indians have always been big on SUVs, and today, SUVs are among the hottest-selling cars of the Indian passenger vehicle market. However, in September 2024, like most cars, SUVs saw rather mediocre sales, while some sold better than they did in the same month last year, others saw some drop in their year-on-year sales. Here are the best-selling SUVs of September 2024, excluding the best-selling compact SUVs of September 2024.

Highest Selling SUVs in India

Hyundai Creta

For eight years and counting, Creta has been the face of modern mid-size SUVs in India. Its grand success attracted many carmakers and is part of the reason why this is the most in-demand segment in India. As the best-selling Hyundai car and the best-selling mid-size SUV, Creta is a brand in itself. Last month, the Creta took the pole position in the SUV space, selling 15,902 units which helped it grow its year-on-year performance by 25 percent. Competing in the most crowded segment, the Creta comes in as the most attractive overall package for its refined engines, premium cabin, and a host of upmarket features.

The Hyundai Creta comes with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine, and a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. The NA engine and diesel engine are offered with a six-speed manual as standard while there is an option of a six-speed CVT automatic for the NA engine and a torque converter automatic for the diesel engine. Meanwhile, the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine comes with a 7-speed DCT automatic.

Also read: Best selling Cars in India

Mahindra Scorpio

As far as the mass-market cars are concerned, other than the Toyota Fortuner, the Mahindra Scorpio is the only car which is considered a status symbol. This is the reason why the Scorpio is a common sight among the convoy of politicians and police cars. Launched in 2002, the Mahindra Scorpio is one of the oldest and most iconic cars in India, and even today, it stands tall amidst the ever-growing SUV competition. A couple of years ago, the Scorpio N joined the Scorpio line-up, making the Scorpio portfolio even more dominant with exponential growth in its sales figures. Throughout its lifetime, the Scorpio has built an invincible legacy and has remained one of the top selling SUVs and last month it did so by selling 14,438 units. With these sales figures, Scorpio saw an impressive 22 percent growth over its sales during the same month the previous year.

Mahindra offers the Scorpio Classic with a 2.2-litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, while the Scorpio N is powered by a 2-litre turbo petrol engine and a 2.2-litre diesel engine. Both engines come coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed torque converter automatic, while the top diesel variants also get a four-wheel-drive system.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

On song right from the beginning of its run, the Maruti Grand Vitara is doing great business for the number one carmaker. The Grand Vitara competes in the largest segment of the Indian car market and is at par with its segment standards regarding features and space. However, it beats every rival with its fuel efficiency which is as high as 27.97 km/l, making itself one of the most fuel-efficient cars in India. Moreover, being available with CNG variants stretches the Grand Vitara’s reach to buyers looking for a CNG-powered mid-size SUV. In September 2024, selling 10,267 units, Grand Vitara maintained its position as the third-best-selling SUV, despite the 13 percent drop from the 11,736 units it sold during the same month last year.

Under the hood, the Grand Vitara comes with two engine offerings. A 1.5-litre petrol mild-hybrid engine mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic, and a 1.5-litre petrol strong-hybrid engine paired with an e-CVT automatic. With the mild-hybrid engine, it delivers a mileage of 19.38-21.11 km/l, while the mileage of strong-hybrid variants is up to 27.97 km/l.  The CNG variants of the Grand Vitara deliver a mileage of 26.6 km/kg.

Mahindra XUV700

Like its predecessor, the XUV500, the Mahindra XUV700 has been a ground-breaking success and revolutionised the industry a great deal. Being available in 5-, 6-, & 7-seater configurations, the XUV700 offers an unmatchable versatility. Moreover, the XUV700 delivers a premium ride complemented with a host of upmarket features which include a panoramic sunroof and a 12-speaker Sony sound system. Meanwhile, despite being a big burly SUV, the XUV700 drives as easily as a hatchback. All these characteristics along with a formidable safety rated 5-star by the G-NCAP, make XUV700 the most value-for-money car under Rs. 30 lakh and thus, one of the best-selling SUVs. In September 2024, the Mahindra XUV700 registered sales of 9,646 units, seeing a 13 percent growth over its sales in the same month of 2023.

Mahindra has equipped the XUV700 with two powerful engines: a 2-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 2.2-litre diesel engine. Both engines are paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. On the higher end of the variant line-up, the XUV700 offers an optional all-wheel drive with a diesel automatic powertrain.

Also read: Best selling Mahindra Cars

Mahindra Bolero

In the rural Indian landscape where adversities from the surface are the highest, the Mahindra Bolero has been ruling the roost for decades. With sky-high popularity and no competition, this rustic automobile is almost essential in rural India. Following what it did in the case of Scorpio, Mahindra has expanded the Bolero’s line-up. Today, the Bolero family consists of three cars. One is the standard 7-seater Bolero that has been in business since 2000. Second is the 7-seater Mahindra Bolero Neo, which hits the middle point between ruggedness and a premium ride. Third is the Mahindra Bolero Neo Plus, which is the 9-seater version of the Bolero Neo. Sales-wise, the Bolero has always been one of the best-selling SUVs and is established as the best-selling Mahindra car of all time. However, last month wasn’t as fruitful for the Bolero as the SUV saw a 14 percent drop in its year-on-year sales, selling 8,180 units.

The standard Bolero and Bolero Neo comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Meanwhile, Bolero Neo Plus comes with a 2.2-litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Kia Seltos

The first impression is the last impression in many cases and being Kia’s first car in India, the Kia Seltos did an excellent job of introducing Indians to the Korean carmaker. It was lapped up in a way that it managed to outshine its Hyundai Creta for a few months and this feat has never been achieved by all other cars in the segment. Today, when the Seltos is not at the peak of its popularity, it is still pulling significant volumes. In September 2024, the Seltos raked in sales of 6,959 units, which translated into a 34 percent year-on-year drop. Nonetheless, the Seltos is a peach of a mid-size SUV. Much like its sibling Creta, the Seltos offers a lot of upmarket features, refined engines, and invaluable dependability.

The Kia Seltos comes with three engine offerings: a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT, a 1.5-litre diesel engine mated to either a 6-speed iMT (clutchless manual) or a 6-speed torque converter automatic, and a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with either a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT automatic.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Being Toyota’s version of the Maruti Grand Vitara, the Toyota Hyryder adds the Japanese manufacturer’s reputation to an already capable product. Sharing its powertrains with the Grand Vitara, the Hyryder also offers a mileage of up to 27.97 km/l with its strong-hybrid engine and therefore is one of the most fuel-efficient cars in India. In recent months, the demand for the Hyryder has increased considerably and last month it managed to sell 5,385 units, gaining a staggering 42 percent year-on-year growth.

Tata Curvv

In true Tata fashion, the Indian carmaker has once again done something mould-breaking and launched a stunning mass-market coupe SUV, Tata Curvv, recently. The Tata Curvv is on sale in both ICE and EV avatars and is here to take on the likes of mid-size SUVs. Being a coupe SUV, the Curvv is a fresh and spellbinding car for most buyers and to challenger cars like the Hyundai Creta, the Curvv packs a lot of features and offers a segment-leading ride comfort. As far as sales are concerned, the Curvv is doing significantly well as of now, but it can also be the first mover advantage. In September, the Curvv grabbed a spot on the list of best-selling SUVs, with sales of 4763 units.

Powering the Tata Curvv are three engines: a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine, and a 1.2-litre T-GDi engine. All engines come mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DCA.

Toyota Fortuner

For a price tag that is nearly twice as expensive compared to that of the other cars on this list, the Toyota Fortuner is the most prominent car on this list. The prominence of Fortuner is not limited to this list and as a matter of fact, it is acclaimed as the king of SUVs in India. What earned the Fortuner this title is its ability to cross the most challenging terrains, the ample space it has for all seven passengers, and most importantly its statesman appeal that has made it a favourite of elites. With such an unmatchable status, the Fortuner sells more units than that of all its rivals combined every month. Last month, the Toyota Fortuner sold 2,473 units and despite seeing a 14 percent decline in its year-on-year sales, the SUV towered over all rivals by a huge gap.

Powering the Fortuner are two mighty engines: a 2.7-litre petrol engine and a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine. The petrol engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and the diesel engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Both engines are also available with a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission, while the diesel engine also gets an optional 4-wheel-drivetrain.

Tata Safari

The flagship of the Indian carmaker, Tata Safari is one of the best seven-seater cars available in the Indian automobile market. The prime reason behind Tata’s masterclass space management as the Safari is one of the few seven-seater SUVs which can comfortably accommodate all seven passengers, especially in the last row. In addition to that, Safari is well-laden with upmarket features to deliver the premium experience one expects of a car of its price tag. A package of ample space and features becomes even more attractive with a full 5-star rating the Safari bagged in the Global NCAP safety test. As far as sales are concerned, the Safari does a decent business which has its limit of not being available in petrol-powered variants. Last month, the Tata Safari saw a staggering 219 percent growth in its year-on-year performance, by selling 1,644 units.

Being the 7-seater derivative of the Harrier, the Tata Safari shares its powertrains with its and therefore comes equipped with a 2-litre diesel engine mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or 6-speed torque converter automatic.