Tata Punch Knocks Out WagonR as India's Bestseller

22 Aug 2024 , 12:55 PM

Tata Motors’ Punch has surpassed Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR as India’s best-selling automobile, with over 1,26,000 units sold between January and July 2024. Punch’s triumph signals the end of Maruti Suzuki’s long-held dominance in this market.

Punch, however, fell to fourth place in July, with Hyundai Creta taking the lead, according to data from auto market research firm Jato Dynamics.

The increase of Punch reflects a shift in customer choice towards alternative fuel options, which now account for over half of the top five sales. Electric and CNG variants account for 47% of Punch’s total sales, while CNG is now a major contribution to Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR (45%), Brezza (27%), and Ertiga (58%).

Car dealers also emphasise the importance of Punch’s fuel mix on sales. A Chennai-based dealer stated, “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 automobiles in the top five use CNG or diesel as their only alternative to petrol.

Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer of Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, commented, “The Punch has become the fastest vehicle to cross the 4 lakh sales milestone in SUVs.”

Other automakers have taken note of Punch’s dual-fuel success. The Hyundai Exter, which debuted in July 2023, has seen sales increase from 7,000 units in its first year to 52,684 units by 2024.

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