Tata Punch emerges 2024 top selling car, ends Maruti’s unbeaten 40-year run

Tata Motors SUV Punch emerged the highest selling passenger car in India, with a sales volume of 2.02 lakh units in 2024, beating top seller Maruti Suzuki’s Wagon R, which sold 1.91 lakh units during the year. 

While consumer preference for SUVs played a role in Punch’s success, it as the robustness and safety rating of the vehicle vis-a-vis Maruti’s WagonR that played the crucial role in boosting sales.

The year also witnessed a fall in sales of Maruti’s top selling SUV Ertiga to number 4 from its number 1 position in 2023.

In a shift away from cheap options, three out of the top five selling cars in the country were SUVs. 

Maruti has been the beloved of the Indian consumer, mainly because of its relative affordability and reliability. A shift towards premium nature and build quality of cars could affect Maruti Suzuki’s sales unless the car maker prioritises safety concerns as well.

Consumer preferences have been affected by the sudden shift to BSVI from BSIV exhaust norms and also in part to the pandemic.

Within Maruti Suzuki also, the number one position hs been shifting from one model to another. The launch of electric vehicles on a large scale saw a further churning of the car market.

However, Maruti still holds the record among top-selling cars with its 2011 sales figure of 3,11.367 for its Alto model.