The Hyundai Creta SUV and Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle have emerged as the most popular buyers in the 4-wheel and 2-wheeler segment in India. According to a study by Droom, an automotive e-commerce platform, SUVs dominate the list of most preferred cars in the country. Among the two-wheelers, motorbikes are preferred by buyers over scooters. Bajaj Pulsar leads the group that includes some of its main rivals. The study covers all ICE models currently on sale in India, including the luxury vehicle segment. However, it did not publish similar data on the electric vehicle segment.
Droom’s annual ‘Automobile India Report’ for 2022 shows the dominance of Korean SUVs last year. While the Hyundai Creta tops the list, followed by its Korean sibling Kia Seltos in second place. Among other SUVs that were loved by buyers last year was the new Maruti Suzuki Brezza. Among larger models such as MPV or large SUV, Toyota’s Innova Crysta and Fortuner share this honor.
Mercedes Benz, the leader in the luxury car segment in India, has seen electronic class became the most popular model. Among other luxury cars that have become popular among buyers are Jeep car CompassMercedes Benz C Class and BMW 5 Series.
In the two-wheeler segment, Bajaj Auto has more models than the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp. Bajaj Pulsar is rated as the most popular by research. Following it are other motorcycles such as Hero Splendor Plus, Bajaj Pulsar NS, TVS Apache RTR and Honda CB Shine. In the luxury segment, Royal Enfield Interceptor is the most popular model, followed by Harley Davidson Street 750 and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.
Research also shows that cars with automatic transmissions are becoming more and more popular among buyers. Since 2015, the automatic transmission car market share has increased from 23% to 33% last year. The study claims the rise of automatic transmissions is due to ‘greater convenience and fuel economy’.
The study also shows that the penetration of electric vehicles in India is faltering at 1% of total vehicle sales. Even diesel-powered cars are losing popularity, especially after a new 10-year deadline for all diesel-powered vehicles to reduce pollution. The study said the share of diesel-powered vehicles fell to 53% last year from 60% in 2021.
First published date: February 28, 2023, 08:41 AM IST
