There was a time when hatchbacks ruled the roost in India. The top 10 monthly sales would have a plethora of hatchbacks in them and then would come the sedans and then SUVs. But for the past few years, SUVs are the rulers and sedans have been reduced to dwindling numbers. But the astonishing thing is that now even hatchbacks seem to be on the line of fire.
Maruti Suzuki Alto, Baleno, Swift and more
The classic case in point is the Maruti Suzuki Alto. Once a guaranteed winner every month, it has been reduced to number 15 on the list with numbers hovering around 12,314 units in January 2026.
The other staggering change comes in the form of the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R which saw a staggering 37 per cent decline in sale in the month of January 2026.
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno and the Maruti Suzuki Swift then were the only two hatchbacks in the top 10 list for January 2026. What is heartening is the fact that both these hatchbacks are racking up good numbers for the company. The Ignis, though saw a massive decline in sales with numbers for January hovering around 1,902 units in January 2026. Similar was the case with the S-Presso and the Celerio. This quite clearly shows the trend that entry-level hatchbacks are the ones that are being most affected.
Hyundai i20 and the Grand i10
Once the most popular hatchbacks in the country, the i20 and Grand i10 have slipped out of the top 10 list. On the upside, sales have not declined as compared to last year.
While the Grand i10 sold 7,710 units in January 2026, the i20 scored 5,677 units in the same period.
All the others
Let’s begin with those which scored better than before, starting with the Citroen C3. In January 2026, the hatch sold 831 units as compared to the 242 units, the company sold in the same month last year. The MG Comet also found quite a few takers as it sold 766 units in January 2026. The Tata Altroz too got a bump in sales with numbers hovering around the 3,135 unit mark in January 2026. The Tiago too saw an uptick in sales with 8,349 units sold.
The downside of them all came through a variety of hatchbacks. The Citroen e C3 found 24 takers only, while the Toyota Glanza saw a 14 per cent decline with numbers hovering at 2,978 units in January 2026. The biggest decline, though, was faced by the Kia Syros that sold 275 units in January as compared to the 5,546 units sold in the same period last year.
Quite simply then, cars like the Maruti Suzuki 800, Maruti Suzuki Alto, Hyundai Santro and so on had once put Indians behind the steering wheel. Going by the numbers, it seems that customers are now more inclined towards compact SUVs rather than hatchbacks.
