Bestselling compact SUVs in FY2025: 6 out of 10 sell over 1 lakh units

Small is big in the Indian SUV market if one goes by the sales of compact SUVs. In FY2025, this extremely popular sub-segment of SUVs clocked wholesales of 1.38 million units, up 10 percent year-on-year (FY2024: 12,55,224 units). This accounts for nearly 50 percent share of the record SUV sales of 2.79 million units, meaning every second SUV sold in India was a sub-4-meter model.

Of the nearly 100 SUVs currently available in the market, 20 are compact SUVs. Among these, 10 stand out for leading the charge in the segment. Let’s take a closer look at India’s 10 bestselling compact SUVs in FY2025.

1. Tata Punch: 1,96,572 units

YoY growth of 15 percent

With 1,96,572 units sold, the Tata Punch, also the bestselling SUV in CY2024 with 2,02,031 units, has topped the sales chart for the first time in a fiscal year since its launch in October 2021. Available with petrol, CNG and electric powertrains, the Punch has risen two ranks from a year ago (FY2024: 1,69,844 units). Since its launch over three and a half years ago, total sales of the Punch in the domestic market have crossed 5,50,000 units. In FY2025, Tata Motors sold a total of 5,53,585 passenger vehicles, with the Punch alone accounting for as much as 35 percent.

2. Maruti Brezza: 1,89,163

YoY growth of 11 percent

The Maruti Brezza, which kicked off the compact SUV juggernaut all those years ago, takes second place on the compact SUV podium with 1,89,163 units, up 11 percent (FY2024: 1,69,897 units). In FY2024, too, the Brezza had missed out on the title of the top-selling SUV by a whisker – just 2,032 units – to the Tata Nexon. The Brezza has, to date, sold a total of 1.24 million units in India since its launch and is available with petrol and CNG powertrains.

3. Maruti Suzuki Fronx: 1,66,216 units

YoY growth of 23 percent

With 1,66,216 units sold, including a best-ever 21,461 units in February 2025, the Baleno-based Maruti Fronx has risen to third place in FY2025, up from fourth a year ago (FY2024: 1,34,735 units). This is an additional 31,481 units, taking the Fronx’s cumulative sales to 3,00,951 units since its launch in April 2023. This makes the Fronx the first Nexa SUV to hit the 3,00,000 milestone.

4. Tata Nexon: 1,63,088 units

YoY decline of 5 percent

The Tata Nexon compact SUV, which was India’s top-selling SUV for three straight years in FY2024, FY2023 and FY2022, is clearly feeling the heat of the revved-up competition, including from its own sibling, the Punch. Nexon sales are down 5 percent YoY, with 8,841 fewer units sold (FY2024: 1,71,929 units). With the launch of the Nexon CNG last September, it was expected that the model would recover market momentum, but that didn’t happen.

5. Hyundai Venue: 1,19,113 units

YoY decline of 8 percent

The Hyundai Venue is also in the negative sales territory. With 1,19,113 units, sales were down 8 percent YoY (FY2024: 1,28,897 units). Demand for the Venue has been flagging, particularly since the Hyundai Exter, its sibling compact SUV, rolled in. With the next-gen Venue slated for launch only by late 2025 or early 2026, sales will most likely continue to be slow.

6. Mahindra 3XO: 1,00,905 units

YoY growth of 84 percent

The Mahindra 3XO has been one of the best performers in the SUV market, per se. With 1,00,905 units sold, the 3XO has moved up two ranks in FY2025 to sixth spot. A robust market performance has resulted in a whopping 84 percent YoY increase (FY2024: 54,726 units) in sales. The XUV 3XO’s share in Mahindra’s record SUV sales of 5,51,487 units has jumped to 18 percent from 12 percent in FY2024.

7. Kia Sonet: 99,805 units

YoY growth of 23 percent

With sales of 99,805 units, the Sonet clocked 23 percent YoY growth (FY2024: 81,384 units) and is Kia India’s bestselling product for the fiscal, ahead of the Seltos midsize SUV (72,618 units, down 28 pecent YoY) and the Carens MPV (64,609 units, up 2 percent YoY). The Sonet surpassed the 4,00,000 milestone in early February this year.

8. Mahindra Bolero: 94,750 units

YoY decline of 15 percent

The Mahindra Bolero brand, comprising the Bolero, Bolero Neo and Bolero Neo Plus, sold an estimated 94,750 units in FY2025, down 15 percent YoY (FY2024: 1,10,841 units). This sales decline sees the Bolero’s share in Mahindra’s sales drop to 17 percent from 24 percent in FY2024. The Bolero is sold only with a diesel powertrain, which has limited appeal in the compact segment, but the venerable SUV still finds buyers in rural areas and Tier 3 cities.

9. Hyundai Exter: 77,412 units

YoY growth of 9 percent

The Exter, which is Hyundai’s second compact SUV after the Venue and the first Hyundai CNG model to get dual-cylinder technology, sold 77,412 units in FY2025, up 9 percent YoY (FY2024: 71,299 units). This takes its cumulative sales total to 1,48,641 units. The entry-SUV category within the sub-four-metre SUV segment, which sees sales of around 20,000 units per month, continues to witness strong demand.

10. Mahindra Thar 3-door: 47,000 units (estimated)

YoY decline of 28 percent  

The 3-door Mahindra Thar has sold an estimated 47,000 units in FY2025, down 28 percent YoY (FY2024: 65,246 units). This decline can be attributed to the demand for the more mainstream 5-door Thar Roxx launched in September 2024. For perspective, the Thar Roxx has already entered the bestselling midsize SUV chart in its first year with estimated sales of 37,834 units. The Thar brand (3-door and 5-door combined) posted total sales of 84,834 units last year. 

Also See:

Bestselling MPVs in FY2025: Every second MPV sold is a Maruti