India seems to be stepping out of sedans and seems to climb the SUVs and MUVs. At least the recent car sales trend suggests this. Credit for this paradigm shift goes to Maruti Ertiga and recently launched Renault Duster besides Mahindra XUV 500 and Toyota Innova. Where Ertiga is averaging 6000 units a month, Duster received 6000 plus booking in less than a week and over 9000 units of XUV 5OO were sold in the first quarter this year. This is much more than the sale of full sized sedans including Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Skoda Laura and others as well as compact sedans including Maruti Swift Dzire, Hyundai Verna and Honda City.

This is a shift that Duster has shown in its pre launch teasers and this has actually happened now. Duster advertisements suggested sedan buyers literally lamenting after realizing that Duster SUV is actually more affordable than their sedan purchase. Renault wanted the market to be this way and despite its late entry into the segment, the shift has happened. However, the real credit of the change seems to on account of Maruti Ertiga launch that offers an exceedingly well made, trusted MPV at a highly affordable price. The Maruti Ertiga diesel price starts at Rs 7.31 lakh which is where most of the diesel sedans price also start. Thus Ertiga offers an altogether better alternative and additional seating plus space to those who wish to buy a sedan.

Whereas Maruti is eating the share of popular sedans, Mahindra XUV 5OO is playing a spoilsport for premium sedans such as Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Skoda Laura by offering extra space, luxury seating and power of big SUV. This insists the average premium sedan buyer to opt the XUV 500 in place of any of the sedans.