Indian passenger vehicle market leader Maruti Suzuki announced on Monday that it plans to increase the prices of its cars from April 2025. The price hike would depend on the make and model, and is touted to be up to 4 per cent.
Maruti Suzuki, which sold 17.55 lakh units in 2024 in India, posted that the price hike was part of its move to optimise costs. While the company strives “to minimise the impact on its customers, some portion of the increased cost may need to be passed on to the market,” stated the carmaker in a regulatory announcement.
While Maruti Suzuki still reigns overall, automakers Hyundai and Tata Motors are playing catch up with certain models. These three brands collectively have a combined market share of a staggering 68 per cent in India. Mahindra & Mahindra is almost there, in fourth position, as per 2024 sales figures.
However, what really stood out was that, for the first time in forty years, Maruti Suzuki lost out on the crown for the most-selling car in India. In 2024, it went to Tata Punch, selling a little over 2 lakh units, edging out Maruti Suzuki Wagon R.
Led by the iconic hatchback, Maruti Suzuki still bagged second, third, and fourth positions (Wagon R, Etriga, Brezza). The fifth position went to Hyundai Creta.
The latest price hike might hamper Maruti Suzuki’s chances of regaining the top spot for the most selling car, given that it has fewer mini-SUVs on offer beyond the ₹10 lakh mark.
Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki (left) with Maruti Suzuki MD Hisashi Takeuchi unveil Maruti’s first electric vehicle, the eVitara, at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in Delhi on January 17 | Sanjay Ahlawat
In February 2025, Maruti Suzuki sold 160,791 passenger vehicles domestically, with a marked year-on-year decline in its cheapest cars, the Alto and S-Presso, and its van Eeco. This led to an overall decline in its ‘mini + compact sub-segment’ numbers to 83,168 units (versus 86,409 in Feb 2024).
The Indian car market, post the pandemic years, saw a shift in car sales, with more premium cars being sold and an increasing shift to SUV body types from hatchbacks—a move led by Hyundai, Tata Motors, and Mahindra & Mahindra.
Best-selling cars in India, by year
Hindustan Motors Ambassador: 1957 to 1984
Maruti 800: 1985 to 2004
Maruti Alto: 2005 to 2006
Maruti Suzuki Alto: 2007 to 2017
Maruti Suzuki DZire: 2018
Maruti Suzuki Alto: 2019
Maruti Suzuki Swift: 2020
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R: 2021 to 2022
Maruti Suzuki Swift: 2023
Tata Punch: 2024
