Small is big in the Indian SUV market, if one goes by the sales of the 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 a near-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 available in the market currently, compact SUVs are 20 in number. Of these 20 models, 10 compact SUVs stand out for leading the charge in the segment. Let’s take a closer look at India’s 10 best selling compact SUVs in FY2025.
1. Tata Punch: 196,572 units
YoY growth of 15 percent
With 196,572 units, the Tata Punch, (also the best-selling SUV in CY2024 with 202,031 units), has topped the sales chart for the first time in a fiscal year since its launch in October 2021. The Punch, which is available with petrol, CNG and electric powertrains, has risen two ranks from a year ago (FY2024: 169,844 units). Since its launch over three-and-a-half years ago, total sales of the Punch in the domestic market have crossed 550,000 units. In FY2025, Tata Motors sold a total of 553,585 passenger vehicles, in which the Punch’s share alone was as much as 35 percent.
2. Maruti Brezza: 189,163
YoY growth of 11 percent
The Maruti Brezza, which kicked off the compact SUV juggernaut all those many years ago, takes second place on the compact SUV podium with 189,163 units, up 11 percent (FY2024: 169,897 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, till 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: 166,216 units
YoY growth of 23 percent
With 166,216 units, including a best-ever 21,461 units in February 2025, the Baleno-based Maruti Fronx has risen to third place in FY2025 compared to fourth rank a year ago (FY2024: 134,735 units). This is an additional 31,481 units, taking the Fronx’s cumulative sales to 300,951 units since its launch in April 2023. This makes the Fronx the first Nexa SUV to hit the 300,000 milestone.
4. Tata Nexon: 163,088 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 as well as from its own sibling, the Punch. Nexon sales are down 5 percent YoY, having sold 8,841 fewer units (FY2024: 171,929 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: 119,113 units
YoY decline of 8 percent
The Hyundai Venue is also in the negative sales territory. With 119,113 units, sales were down 8 percent YoY (FY2024: 128,897 units). Demand has been flagging for the Venue, particularly since the Hyundai Exter, its sibling compact SUV, rolled in. With the next-gen Venue slated for launch only by end-2025 or early 2026, sales will most likely continue to be slow.
6. Mahindra 3XO: 100,905 units
YoY growth of 84 percent
The Mahindra 3XO has been one of the best performers in the SUV market per se. With 100,905 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 551,487 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 best-selling 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 400,000 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: 110,841 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 148,641 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 five-door Thar Roxx, launched in September 2024. For perspective, the Thar Roxx has already entered the best selling 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.
| Best selling compact SUVs in FY2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 sales | FY2024 sales | YoY change | |
| Tata Punch | 1,96,572 | 1,69,844 | 16% |
| Maruti Suzuki Brezza | 1,89,163 | 1,69,897 | 11% |
| Maruti Suzuki Fronx | 1,66,216 | 1,34,735 | 23% |
| Tata Nexon | 1,63,088 | 1,71,929 | -5% |
| Hyundai Venue | 1,19,113 | 1,28,897 | -8% |
| Mahindra XUV 3XO | 1,00,905 | 54,726 | 84% |
| Kia Sonet | 99,805 | 81,384 | 23% |
| Mahindra Bolero | 94,750 | 1,10,841 | -15% |
| Hyundai Exter | 77,412 | 81,384 | 9% |
| Mahindra Thar | 47,000 | 71,299 | -28% |
Also See:
Bestselling MPVs in FY2025: Every second MPV sold is a Maruti
