Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, seems is leaving no stone unturned to drive the demand for the new 2024 Dzire sedan.

In fact, as per the latest result of Global NCAP, the global safety watchdog, the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire has scored a 5-star result for adult and 4-stars for child occupant safety. The sedan fitted with six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and pedestrian protection as standard, has become first Maruti Suzuki vehicle to achieve a five star Global NCAP rating.

For the unversed, the Global NCAP’s crash test protocols assess frontal and side impact protection for all models, as well as Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Pedestrian protection and side pole impact protection assessments are required for vehicles scoring the highest star ratings.

David Ward, Executive President, Towards Zero Foundation, said, “The new Dzire’s five star rating sets a significant safety benchmark for Maruti Suzuki compared to the previous version of this model and others from Maruti we have tested. Global NCAP warmly welcomes this milestone voluntary test result. We are optimistic that going forward Maruti will seek to achieve this high level of safety performance across their model range. If they do, it will be a vehicle safety game changer for Indian consumers.”

It is interesting to note that the new Dzire was submitted by Maruti Suzuki to Global NCAP for voluntary testing.  The structure and footwell area were rated as stable and can withstand further loadings.

The previous Dzire model tested by Global NCAP managed to score just two stars in Global NCAP safety ratings.

Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for FY2025 with 762,052 units sold, a marginal decline of 2 percent YoY.

This includes 598,666 units sold in domestic market, down 2.61 percent YoY and 163,386 units exported, a flat growth as against 163,155 units for the same period last year.

Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director and Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India, said, “Solidifying our position further in India, HMIL continued its rein as the second largest passenger vehicle OEM in FY2024-25, thanks to the unparalleled trust of our customers on brand Hyundai."

"Our versatile SUV line-up grew stronger this financial year with the launch of the Hyundai Creta Electric - our first indigenous EV and also the bold new Hyundai Alcazar. India’s favourite SUV, the new Hyundai Creta continues to build on its popularity, by becoming India’s No.1 SUV with sales of 52,898 units in Jan-March quarter of FY2024-25. HMIL further set industry benchmarks by surpassing the milestone of 2.5 million SUV sales and 1.5 million Creta sales since inception (domestic + exports)," he added. 

Czech automaker Skoda Auto India, which is celebrating its silver jubilee (25-years) in the country, has reportedly clocked its best-ever monthly sales with 7,422 units sold in March 2025.

The company attributes the sales performance on the popularity of its Kylaq SUV, which has enabled it to reach out to a wider sect of consumers.

Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said, “With the launch of the all-new Kylaq, we committed to a ‘New Era’ in our India journey. The 7,422 cars we sold in March 2025 is testament to this journey taking shape, and is also the result of sustained planning, efforts and a strategy aimed at democratising European technology on Indian roads. The customer feedback highlights that Kylaq comes with an exceptional price-value proposition, taking comfort, space and safety from a segment higher, into the sub-4-metre SUV segment. To enable more customers and celebrate the Kylaq success, we decided to extend the introductory pricing until the end of April.”

Launched in November 2024 and deliveries beginning January 2025, the Skoda Kylaq

is Skoda’s Auto India’s first sub-4-metre SUV. The company is ramping up production of the Kylaq SUV with a target to deliver over 15,000 units towards active bookings by end-May. Furthermore, the company has also outlined an ambitious target to have 350 touchpoints in 2025, rapidly scaling from over 280 touchpoints at present.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest car manufacturer, has reported its highest-ever annual sales for the financial year 2024-25 with wholesale of 2.23 million units.

This also marks the second consecutive year for the company to cross the 2-million sales milestone.

In the domestic market, the company sold 1.79 million units and had the highest-ever exports of 332,585 units in FY2025. During the year, the company also doubled its sales to Toyota Kirloskar Motor from 58,612 units in FY2024 to 106,422 units in FY2025.

A deeper look at segment-wise sales reveals interesting trends:

Maruti Suzuki India sold 1.76 million passenger vehicles in FY 2024-25, maintaining steady demand compared to 1.75 million units in the previous year. The compact and mini car segment contributed 904,909 units, while the rapidly growing utility vehicle (SUV & MPV) segment reached 720,186 units, significantly up from 642,296 units in FY 2023-24.

In the CV space, the Super Carry LCV maintained strong performance, with 34,492 units sold, slightly up from 33,763 units in the previous year.

Maruti Suzuki India’s focus on SUVs seems to have hit all the right now, with models like Brezza, Grand Vitara and Fronx boosting overall sales.

Going forward, it would be interesting to see how the company counters the decline in the Mini and Compact car segment.

Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “FY 2024-25 has been a landmark year for Maruti Suzuki in terms of exports. Aligned with the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ vision, we attained record exports of 332,585 units. This achievement once again cemented our position as India’s number 1 passenger vehicle exporter. We are humbled that our manufacturing excellence has earned global trust, with Maruti Suzuki contributing nearly 43 percent of the country's total vehicle exports. During the year, we commenced exports of Fronx and Jimny 5-door to Japan and it is heartening that both models have received overwhelming response. This is a testament to India’s growing stature as a global manufacturing hub.”

“As announced at Bharat Mobility Global Auto Expo, India is the global manufacturing hub of Suzuki’s first global strategic BEV, the e VITARA. In FY 2025-26, we will initiate exports of e VITARA to around 100 countries, including Europe and Japan,” added Takeuchi.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has reported its best-ever financial year sales in FY2025.

The company reportedly sold 337,148 vehicles, which translates to 28 percent growth over 263,512 units sold in FY2024. For FY2025, the company shared that its SUV and MPV sales grew by 35 percent YoY, while exports surged by 59 percent YoY. It continued to expand its presence in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which helped the company reach out to more potential customers.

Varinder Wadhwa, Vice-President, Sales-Service-Used Car Business & Profit Enhancement, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “The growth has been fuelled by the strong and consistent adoption of SUVs MPVs and hybrids, further reinforced by robust export momentum and deeper engagement in Tier II and III cities – highlighting the increasing relevance of our diverse product portfolio. Our multi-pathway approach, complemented by customer-centric initiatives like T-CARE has empowered us to deliver meaningful value at every stage of the ownership journey. This, in turn, has created strong opportunities for us while establishing a solid foundation for the coming year, even amid intensifying competition and rising consumer expectations.”