Hyundai Is Better Positioned Than Ever to Weather the Midsize SUV Storm

How it all began

Hyundai’s broader strategy in India has always revolved around customer focused innovation and deep localisation since its entry into the market in 1996. Over the years, the company adapted its products to Indian preferences, played a key role in popularising SUVs in what was once a hatchback dominated market, and invested heavily in building a wide nationwide footprint.

Today, Hyundai operates through more than 1,366 sales points and 1,550 service centres across the country. This long term approach has helped the Creta lead the midsize SUV segment every single year since 2016, achieving a compound annual growth rate of over 9 percent between 2016 and 2025.

King Creta , The One and Only

Since its launch in 2015, the Hyundai Creta has emerged as the undisputed leader, consistently outperforming rivals thanks to the minimum standard Hyundai has set for SUVs, which no other carmaker, including Tata and Mahindra, has achieved.

In 2025 alone, the Creta achieved its highest ever annual sales, surpassing 200,000 units, which translates to an average of 550 units sold daily. 

This remarkable feat has solidified Hyundai’s position, with the Creta commanding over 34 percent market share in the midsize SUV category. Over the past decade, cumulative domestic sales have exceeded 1.2 million units, making it not just a bestseller but a familiar and dominant presence on Indian roads.

My vision is to build on our strong foundation while accelerating HMIL’s transformation towards sustainable growth, technological leadership and unmatched customer delight. We will continue to reinforce our commitment to Make in India and position HMIL as a global hub for exports. Tarun Garg, CEO, Hyundai Motor India.

The Creta’s appeal lies in a simple fact that it offers everything a car of its calibre can in its segment. And the fact that it comes in over 70 models, yes seventy, means for every Creta buyer there is already a trim in place. Even we were impressed when our Creta crossed 20K mark without any drama.

The SUV offers a spacious and premium cabin, highlighted by features such as a panoramic sunroof, which contributes to over 70 percent of total sales coming from sunroof equipped variants. 

it packs every in demand feature such as ventilated seats, ADAS, and wireless Apple CarPlay, which other carmakers also offer, but in Hyundai’s case they work reliably in real world conditions, unlike the glitch prone technology often seen in Mahindra and Tata vehicles.

Buyers can choose from multiple powertrain options including petrol, diesel, and turbocharged engines, offering a mix of refined performance and fuel efficiency, with diesel variants still accounting for a strong 44 percent share. Owners frequently highlight the SUV’s reliability, manageable maintenance costs and powerful performance from every engine on offer.

The engines are among the most well-tuned, despite Mahindra offering stronger 200 hp engines and the Sierra with its much-hyped Hyperion unit. 

Another critical area That Hyundai has never been in spotlight is its much coveted 5-star BNCAP and GNCAP rating which both it archrivals Tata and Mahindra offer, though we are confident that upcoming Creta facelift will remedy this

Rough Seas Ahead For Hyundai

Hyundai declared that it sold over 2 lakhs Creta last year, thats about 550 cars per day ! Insanely impressive for something that costs about 12 lakhs on road. But tall this was before the Mahindra 7XO and Tata Sierra launched. Tata claims to have over 70,000 bookings on day one while Mahindra a claims over 93,000 (with XEV9s). 

To take this new onslaught of rivals, Hyundai has outlined an ambitious roadmap, committing an investment of ₹45,000 crore over the next five years. The company is targeting sustained growth with over 7 percent CAGR and aims to reach a 15 percent overall market share. Plans include launching 26 new models by 2030, expanding production capacity to 1.1 million units annually, and accelerating the push toward electrification with five electric vehicle models planned by 2032

Hyundai also intends to introduce hybrids, enter new segments such as MPVs and off road focused SUVs, and bring its premium Genesis brand to India by 2027.

Leadership direction continues to reinforce this vision. Previous leadership placed strong emphasis on localization and continuous innovation, positioning Hyundai as a brand that feels deeply rooted in the Indian market.

Its established brand loyalty, consistent reliability record, extensive service network, and commanding 34 percent market share provide a substantial advantage.

While rivals may find success through aggressive pricing or specialised features, Hyundai’s regular updates and wide after sales reach, high number of models and word of mouth marketing continue to keep the Creta firmly ahead in the segment. Market trends increasingly favour higher value and feature rich vehicles, an area where the Creta remains particularly strong.

Looking forward, Hyundai’s product pipeline signals even more innovation. The coming years will see the introduction of the Creta Hybrid, a refreshed Verna, the Bayon crossover positioned against compact crossovers like the Fronx, and a new D segment SUV.

One area where Hyundai has been on the back foot is its EV portfolio, which currently only consists of the Creta Electric, and that too largely for namesake with no appeal whatsoever when compared to its much more established rivals.

"We couldn't expect India's EV market to grow so positively. That's why we are a little bit behind in terms of the EV introduction in the Indian market." Unsoo Kim, former Hyundai India CEO.

But this might change soon, as Hyundai is also set to launch its first India specific electric vehicle by late 2026, which by their own admission is something they have been playing catch up on compared to established EV leaders like Tata and Mahindra, while steadily expanding its hybrid portfolio to more than 18 models by 2030

Source- Hyundai India Press, Hyundai