After looking at sub 4 meter SUV sales and sub 4.5 meter SUVs, let’s now look at the 4.5 meter to 4.8 meter SUV segment, which recorded healthy growth in January 2026, with total sales rising to 39,030 units. This represents a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 16.82% compared to 33,409 units sold in January 2025. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the segment witnessed a sharp jump of 34.35% as compared to 29,052 units sold in December 2025.
4.5 meter to 4.8 meter SUV sales in January 2026
Mahindra continued to dominate the segment, while Tata Motors recorded strong growth with the Harrier and Safari. Here’s a closer look at how the segment performed. Mahindra Scorpio/Scorpio N retained the top spot with sales of 15,542 units in January 2026. This was a marginal increase of 0.65% year-on-year compared to 15,442 units last year. However, MoM sales saw a marginal decline of 2.16% to 15,885 units in December 2025.
Mahindra On a MoM basis, sales grew sharply, up 611.59% from 1,424 units in December. Mahindra’s electric offering also saw a rise. The XEV 9e registered 1,945 units, up 71.06% year-on-year, while the XEV 9S added 612 units during the month.
Tata Harrier and Safari see triple-digit growth
Tata Motors was the strongest performer in this segment. Tata Harrier/Harrier EV registered 3,711 units in January 2026, marking a massive growth of 149.40% YoY as compared to 1,488 units last year. MoM growth stood at 56.06%. Tata Safari also performed well with sales of 2,375 units, up 53.42% YoY and 64.25% YoY and MoM. This strong performance reflects the renewed buyer interest in Tata’s large SUVs, especially with the updated variants and EV options.
Toyota Fortuner posted 3,046 units in January 2026, marking a marginal 3.27% decline from 3,149 units last year. However, MoM sales improved slightly by 2.87%. Hyundai Alcazar sales stood at 962 units, registering a year-on-year decline of 26.56%. On a positive note, MoM sales in December improved by 66.15% from 579 units.
MG Hector/Hector Plus reported 334 units, down 25.61% YoY and 70.88% MoM. The Skoda Kodiaq, although down by 139 units in volume, registered a massive growth of 10% compared to just 1,290 units sold in January 2025. Jeep Compass and Jeep Meridian declined by 36.99% and 40.88% respectively. Volkswagen Tiguan recorded 34 units YoY, up just 1 unit last year, while Volkswagen Teron added 5 units. Hyundai Tucson and MG Gloster recorded zero sales in January 2026.
With sales of 39,030 units, the 4.5m-4.8m SUV category continues to be a strong contributor to the overall SUV volumes in India. The growth was largely driven by Mahindra’s broader portfolio and growing demand for Tata’s Harrier and Safari.
