Confident of retaining leadership position in SUV segment in 2022: Hyundai

Having dominated the segment in 2021 with the sale of over 2.5 lakh SUVs, Hyundai Motor India looks to maintain its leadership in the segment this year as demand for its models like Creta and Venue continues to be robust, according to a senior company official.

The auto major has led the sports utility vehicle (SUV) space in the country for two consecutive years now (2020 and 2021) and now expects to dominate the segment in 2022 as well.

The company sold 1.8 lakh SUVs in 2020 and has closed 2021 with a dispatch of 2.52 lakh units.

The SUV sales have been growing in the country at a fast clip.

In 2020, SUVs accounted for around 29 per cent of the overall passenger vehicle sales. The share has gone up to 37 per cent in 2021.

In an interaction with PTI, Hyundai Motor India Director (Sales, Marketing and Service) Tarun Garg said the company is confident of sustaining its leadership in the segment this year as well.

"We have the technology, we have design and we have products. The company has managed to create a great SUV customer base.

"Over the past five years, we have sold over 8.34 lakh SUVs. So, we feel confident that we should continue to do well as far as the SUV space is concerned. We have a complete range which puts us in an advantageous position," he noted.

Garg stated that the SUV segment continues with its unabated growth and the company is well-positioned to lead the space.

He noted that the shift towards SUVs would continue in the domestic market as the vehicles have somehow become a kind of status symbol for buyers.

"There is also a perception that SUVs are safe. Besides, high ground clearance is an additional benefit to driving in any kind of terrain. The SUVs also come with a high sitting stance which gives better driver control," Garg said while elaborating on the reasons for the popularity of SUV models in the country.

He noted that customers are not willing to compromise on the quality of the cars they want to buy in terms of design, features, drive dynamics and this aligns well with Hyundai which has been continuously upgrading its model line-up.

"This is the reason why Creta remains a leader in the SUV space despite so many new models having been launched in the segment," Garg stated.

He noted that the company is sitting on a backlog of over one lakh units, with Creta leading in the booking charts.

In 2021, the company sold 1,25,437 units of the model.

Garg noted that the unprecedented demand has led to an increased waiting period for the model and the company is making all efforts to ramp up the production.

He noted that the company continues to offer its model range with multiple fuel options and powertrains and transmissions thus catering to all kinds of customer demand across various regions.

"With the addition of Alcazar to our line-up, Hyundai now has five stellar brands across a spectrum of diverse choices for customer delight.

"Going forward, we will continue to deliver exciting new products with a focus on intelligent technology, innovation and sustainability," Garg said.

The company sold over 1.08 lakh units of Venue last year and 17,700 units of Alcazar since its launch in June 2021.

Hyundai also sells Tucson in the market and is now gearing to drive in a new version of the SUV.