At a little over 990,000 units, total sales of the 15 best-selling midsize SUVs in FY2025 were up 5% YoY. Like compact SUVs, this too is a highly competitive segment which saw nine models’ sales decline. While the Hyundai Creta rules unchallenged with 194,871 units, sales of the Mahindra Scorpio N and Classic rose 17% to 164,842 units, and those for the Maruti Grand Vitara slowed down to 123,946 units.
21 Apr 2025 | 4045 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
Even as the surging demand for compact SUVs continues and they accounted for a near-50% share of the record 2.79 million utility vehicles sold in FY2025, there is a growing demand for bigger, feature-laden midsize SUVs. This is also reflected in the fact that there are five midsize SUVs – ...
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Even as the surging demand for compact SUVs continues and they accounted for a near-50% share of the record 2.79 million utility vehicles sold in FY2025, there is a growing demand for bigger, feature-laden midsize SUVs. This is also reflected in the fact that there are five midsize SUVs – Hyundai Creta, Mahindra Scorpio, Maruti Grand Vitara, Mahindra Bolero and XUV700 – amongst the Top 15 UVs sold in India in FY2025.
Like the compact SUV market, the competition here too is intense as can be seen in the red ink on the sales of nine of the 15 models listed here.
No. 1 – Hyundai Creta: 194,871 units, up 20%
The Hyundai Creta maintains its position as India’s No. 1 midsize SUV with 194,871 units, up 20% YoY. Sales for the Creta took off after the launch of the new-generation Creta in January 2024, and the arrival of the Creta Electric in January 2025 has given demand a fillip. The Creta continues to be Hyundai’s best-selling model and with demand for hatchbacks and sedans slowing, the SUV share of the company’s PV sales rose to 68.5% or 410,086 units, up 5.5% YoY, in FY2025. At 194,871 units, the Creta and Creta Electric together accounted for a 47% share of Hyundai’s SUV sales in FY2025, up from the 42% the ICE Creta had in FY2024. The Creta, since its launch in July 2015, has sold over 1.21 million units till end-March 2025, including 239,817 units of the new Creta.
No. 2 – Mahindra Scorpio N / Scorpio Classic: 164,842 units, up 17%
The Mahindra Scorpio twins have had a stellar FY2025. The best-selling Mahindra model has sold 164,842 units, up 17% YoY (FY2024: 141,462 units), which translates into an additional 23,380 units. This performance sees the Scorpio N and Classic maintain their No. 2 position from FY2024. Along with the three other Mahindra SUVs (as also the Mahindra compact SUVs) in this Top 15 listing, they helped power M&M to its best-ever fiscal year sales of 551,487 units, up 20% YoY. The Scorpio N and Classic’s share of total M&M sales works out to 30%, marginally down from the 31% in FY2024. The fuel-wise split for Scorpio sales in FY2025 is 93% diesel (153,395 units) and 7% petrol (11,447 units).
No. 3 – Maruti Grand Vitara: 123,946 units, up 2%
Sales of the Maruti Grand Vitara have been slower than expected and the 123,946 units were up just 2% YoY (FY2024: 121,169 units). This premium model, retailed from Maruti Suzuki’s Nexa sales channel, is the second best-selling Nexa SUV in FY2025, after the Maruti Fronx compact SUV. On April 8, the company launched the updated MY2025 version equipped with six airbags as standard across all variants and a number of new safety, comfort and convenience features. It is understood that there is a three-row Grand Vitara in the pipeline but it won’t be available till end-2025.
No. 4 – Mahindra Bolero: 94,750 units, down 15%
The Mahindra Bolero brand, comprising the Bolero, Bolero Neo and Bolero Neo Plus, sold an estimated 94,750 units in FY2025, down 15% YoY (FY2024: 110,841 units). This sales decline sees the Bolero’s share of M&M sales drop to 17% from 24% in FY2024. The Bolero is sold only with a diesel powertrain.
No. 5 – Mahindra XUV700: 93,082 units, up 17%
Mahindra & Mahindra’s feature-laden and big-on-safety flagship SUV, which is available with petrol and diesel engines and over 40 variants, remains a top draw for executive SUV buyers. The XUV700 sold 93,082 units, up 17% YoY (FY2024: 79,398 units), giving the model a 17% share of M&M’s record SUV sales of 551,487 units.
The fuel-wise sales split for the XUV700 in FY2025 is 75% diesel (70,172 units) and 25% petrol (22,910 units). In FY2024, the XUV700’s 79,398 units were split between 71% diesel (56,366 units) and 29% petrol (23,032 units).
No. 6 – Kia Seltos: 72,618 units, down 28%
The Seltos midsize SUV, Kia’s first product in India which helped make a relatively unknown Korean brand in the country in 2019 a household name, has felt the heat of the midsize SUV competition. Kia’s longstanding best-seller replaced by sibling Sonet, which has outsold the Seltos right since January 2024. In FY2025, the Seltos’ 72,618 units were down by a substantial 28% YoY.
No. 7 – Toyota Hyryder: 60,388 units, up 23%
Toyota India entered the midsize SUV market much later compared to most of the leading players but the Hyryder seems to be making up for lost time. The petrol-only SUV is available in 13 variants – 8 petrol, 2 CNG and 3 strong hybrid.
The Hyryder sold 60,388 units in FY2025, up 23% YoY, and is the company’s best-selling Maruti-rebadged model last fiscal. This model’s USP is its strong-hybrid petrol powertrain, aimed to fill the void created by the lack of a diesel engine and to also bridge the gap between petrol and EVs. With a claimed fuel efficiency figure of 27.97kpl, the Hyryder is one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in India and benefits from technology which is able to minimise losses in a pure IC engine by electrification to leverage benefits such as brake-energy recuperation and turning off the engine while idling excessively (see Toyota Hyryder driving impression).
Of the four badge-engineered models in India bearing the Toyota logo – the Hyryder is currently the best-selling of the four rebadged models compared to the Glanza (29,994 units), Taisor (16,558 units) and Rumion (12,464 units). Total sales of the Hyryder to date are 132,143 units since its launch in September 2022.
No. 8 – Mahindra Thar Roxx: 37,834 units (estimated)
The five-door Thar Roxx, launched in September 2024, enters the best-selling midsize SUV chart in its first year with estimated sales of 37,834 units. The Thar brand, which comprises the 3-door Thar and the new Thar Roxx, posted total sales of 84,834 units with the 3-door Thar accounting for an estimated 47,000 units over the 12-month period.
The five-door Thar Roxx, which won Autocar India’s Car of the Year 2025 award, appeals to a wider target audience as a more practical and more mainstream product than the already popular three-door Thar and has also taken the battle into many a rival’s camp.
No. 9 – Toyota Fortuner: 32,785 units, down 6%
The rugged and effortless mile-munching Toyota Fortuner has sold 32,785 units, down 6% YoY. Now in its second generation, the Toyota Fortuner is available in a wide variety of options with petrol-manual, petrol-auto, diesel-manual and diesel-auto versions on offer. The diesels can additionally be had with four-wheel drive. The Legender variant is set apart by some cosmetic differences from the regular Fortuner.
No. 10 – Honda Elevate: 22,321 units, down 34%
The Elevate midsize SUV, which had brought Honda back into the SUV game in FY2024 with 33,642 units, has seen demand plunge in the current fiscal by 34% to 22,321 units. In fact, its exports at 45,167 units (up 340%) in FY2025 are double that of its domestic market sales.
No. 11 – Tata Safari: 20,035 units, down 9%
Tata Motors’s flagship SUV saw demand drop 9% to 20,035 units. The Safari has a strong road presence and is powered by a 1956cc diesel engine which develops 170hp and 350 Nm of torque and comes with manual and automatic gearbox options. The three-row family SUV has won a five-star crash safety rating from Bharat NCAP.
No. 12 – Volkswagen Taigun: 19,910 units, down 3%
The Volkswagen Taigun, which is the sister SUV to the Skoda Kushaq under the India 2.0 project, is part of the growing midsize SUV market in India. Offered only with petrol engines – a 115hp 1.0 TSI turbo-petrol engine (115hp and 175 Nm torue) or a 150hp 1.5 TSI (150hp and 250 Nm torque), the Taigun sold 19,910 units in FY2025, down 3% YoY (FY2024: 20,485 units). The Taigun has sold a total of 79,020 units in the domestic market since its launch in September 2021.
No. 13 – Tata Harrier: 18,958 units, down 23%
Like its Safari sibling, sales for the Tata Harrier too are down in FY2025 at 18,958 units (FY2024: 24,701 units) but by a substantial 23 percent. Like the Safari, the Harrier is powered by the same 170hp, 2.0-litre diesel engine, which comes with manual and automatic gearbox options.
Like the Safari, the Tata Harrier also aced the Bharat NCAP crash test with a top five-star rating. In November 2024, Tata Motors updated the Harrier and Safari line-up with two new colour options, and an expanded Autonomous Driving Assistance System (ADAS), which now includes lane-keep assist and lane-centering assist.
Tata Motors’ striking-looking, feature and tech-laden diesel-engined premium five-seater SUV continues to have a fan following but the absence of a petrol engine has impacted sales. It is understood that the electric avatar of the SUV is to be launched in first-half CY2025 and likely to be followed by a petrol-powered Harrier.
No. 14 – Skoda Kushaq: 17,363 units, down 26%
The Skoda Kushaq, which was the first model to come from Skoda's 'India 2.0' programme of heavily localised and cost-competitive products and goes head to head against the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, sold 17,363 units in FY2025, down 26% YoY (FY2024: 23,396 units). It is powered by a 115hp 1.0 TSI and a 150hp 1.5 TSI turbocharged petrol engines that can be had with either manual or automatic gearboxes. The Kushaq has sold a total of 87,486 units in India since its June 2021 launch.
No. 15 – Hyundai Alcazar: 17,132 units, down 17%
Hyundai Motor India’s flagship SUV – the three-row Alcazar midsize SUV – is based on the company’s best-selling product, the Creta and packs the strengths of India’s No. 1 midsize SUV along with the flexibility of six or seven seats. It is aimed at family buyers keen on a modern, stylish and feature-rich six- and seven-seater SUV, which is high on space and comfort, and safe too.
However, amidst other equally gifted rivals, the Alcazar sales in FY2025, at 17,132 units, were down 17% YoY (FY2024: 20,753 units). The company launched the facelifted Alcazar in September 2024 with a significantly revised exterior design and new interiors from the Creta but demand has remained below what the company would have expected.