New Delhi. Something amazing has been witnessed in the Indian Passenger Vehicle (PV) market. Only once in the 40 years from 1985 to 2024 has a sedan topped India's annual car sales chart. This happened in 2018, when Maruti Suzuki Dezire became the best-selling car in the country. Sedans are going to top the sales charts once again in 2025. Once again this model is Maruti Suzuki Dezire. Even after so many years, no other sedan has been able to compete with it.
Creta left behind
The country's largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India has sold 1,95,416 units of Dezire in the domestic market between January and November this year. This is 7,448 units ahead of the second model, which is Hyundai Motor India's popular SUV Creta, which has sold 1,87,968 units. Dezire is going to become number one at a time when the sedan segment is facing tough competition from the SUV segment. The PV market share of sedans is less than 10%, while SUVs contribute about 55%.
Best selling cars from 1984 to 2024
| model | ear |
| Maruti Suzuki 800 | 1985-2004 |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto | 2005-2017 |
| Maruti Suzuki Dezire | 2018 |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto | 2019 |
| Maruti Suzuki Swift | 2020 |
| Maruti Suzuki Wagon R | 2021 |
| Maruti Suzuki Wagon R | 2022 |
| Maruti Suzuki Swift | 2023 |
| tata punch | 2024 |
Why is Desire popular?
An industry expert told Moneycontrol, “The reason for Dzire's popularity in India is its price, positioning and scale. It falls in the compact sedan segment, which gives it more boot space than a hatchback without increasing the price too much. It also benefits from Maruti Suzuki's strong sales and service network, be it in urban or rural areas.”
Multiple powertrain options
Another expert said, “Multiple powertrain options have also increased its appeal. Low running cost, easy maintenance and strong resale value are its specialties. Due to frequent updates, Dezire has remained popular in the Indian market despite the changing tastes of the market.”
price
Price of Maruti Suzuki Dezire The ex-showroom price of Dezire ranges between Rs 6,25,600 to Rs 9,31,300. It also has a commercial variant Tour S, whose price ranges from Rs 6,23,800 to Rs 7,09,800 (ex-showroom). After the change in GST rate, the price of Dezire has been reduced by up to Rs 87,700. At the same time, the price of Tour S has decreased by Rs 67,200.
Engine and Mileage
Engine and Mileage of Maruti Suzuki Dezire This car has a 1.2 liter, three cylinder petrol engine, which first came in the Swift hatchback. This engine gives power of 81.58 PS and torque of 111.7 Nm. Customers can choose between a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. Its CNG variant is also available, which gives power of 69.75 PS and torque of 101.8 Nm and comes with 5-speed manual transmission. Fuel efficiency is also a big factor in this segment. Maruti Suzuki claims that the petrol manual variant gives a mileage of 24.79 km per liter. The mileage of petrol AMT variant is 25.71 km per liter. The CNG manual variant gives a mileage of 33.73 km per kg.