Tata Punch beats Maruti Wagon-R to become the top selling car in India
Tata Punch emerged as top selling car, beating Maruti Wagon-R in first half of 2024
Tata Motor’s Punch has emerged as India’s top selling car in 2024 so far by beating Maruti Suzuki’s Wagon-R with over 1,26,000 units sold between January and July 2024.
The rise of Punch also points to a shift in consumer preference towards alternative fuel options, which now represent nearly half of the top 5 car sales. Electric and CNG variants make up 47% of Punch’s total sales, while CNG has become a major contributor to the sales of Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR (45%), Brezza (27%), and Ertiga (58%).
Automotive experts attribute Punch’s success to the SUV-like features that Punch offers, heralding a new category called, ‘Micro SUV‘ at a more accessible price point. Also the multiple fuel options (it was all-petrol in 2023) address varying consumer preferences and concerns about fuel costs,” said Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics.
Many car dealers feel that multiple fuel options in Tata Punch has led to its phenomenal success. A Chennai-based dealer said, “It went from just over 79,000 units last Jan-July to 1.26 lakh units now thanks to its electric and CNG variants.” The other four cars in the top five either have CNG or diesel as the only alternative to petrol.
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Vivek Srivatsa, chief commercial officer of Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, revealed, “The Punch has become the fastest vehicle to cross the 4 lakh sales milestone in SUVs.”
The success of Punch’s multi-fuel strategy has is being studied and replicated by other car manufacturers. The Hyundai Exter, launched in July 2023, has seen its sales rise from 7,000 units in its launch year to 52,684 units in 2024.
“For OEMs, the strategy appears to be diversifying fuel options to cater to different consumer needs and regulatory environments and focusing on the micro SUV segment to capture price-sensitive customers who want to own an SUV,” added Bhatia.
