Cars In Demand: Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV500 Most Popular SUVs In Segment

All midsize SUVs held on to their spots on the sales chart in April 2019

Updated on: 10 May 2019 3:30 pm

Tata Harrier most popular midsize SUV in India.
However, it saw a drop in MoM demand.
All SUVs apart from Tucson sold lower units than their average six month sales.
XUV500 and Compass trail the Harrier.

The midsize SUV segment saw an overall MoM decline of 18.47 per cent in sales in the month of April. While the Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass saw the least slump in sales, the Tucson’s drop in popularity was the highest. The Harrier retained its top spot in the segment followed by the XUV500 and Compass, while the Hexa and Tucson formed the tail end of the table. We’ve compiled the April 2019 sales numbers of midsize SUVs to tell you how each of these SUVs did in the market in the last six months.

Key takeaways

Tata Harrier takes the crown again: The Harrier was launched in January 2019 and February onwards, this SUV has been at the top of this segment in terms of demand. However, the demand is decreasing every month, but that’s true for the segment on the whole as well, and not just the Harrier. With the 7-seat Harrier in the pipeline for India this year, it looks set to be amongst the most popular SUVs in this segment for some time.

Mahindra XUV500 is popular even on its last legs: The XUV500 might have received an update recently, but it’s been around for quite some time now and needs a major update. It’s still quite a popular midsize SUV, given that it’s retained its second spot behind the Harrier.

Jeep Compass has reasons to smile despite drop in demand: The first reason is the Trailhawk variant that is coming very soon. Second, the Compass has managed to lower the sales gap with the XUV500 down to around 300 units now. Third, its monthly sales numbers for April are very close to its average six month sales although its rivals, barring the Harrier have seen a sharper drop. Will the Compass become more popular than the XUV500 in the coming months? Only time will tell.

Tata Hexa & Hyundai Tucson form the tail: The Hexa and Tucson are clearly the least popular midsize SUVs in India and together make for less than 10 per cent of the market share in this segment. While the Tata can be considered by those looking for an SUV that is capable off the road and can seat seven people, the Tucson is meant to transport all its five occupants in comfort. There’s no official word on whether these models are getting an update of any sort in the near future either.

Upcoming competition: MG Motor is set to launch the Hector SUV in India which will compete in the midsize SUV space. The Hector’s USP will be its features, which, in the top-spec variant, will include a panoramic sunroof, dynamic turn indicators and a 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with connected car features. Prices of the Hector are expected to start from around Rs 15 lakh.