Road to SUV Buyer’s Heart: Top auto competitors doubling down on their strengths to woo customers

With competition intensifying in the fast-growing sport utility vehicle (SUV) market in India, top auto competitors are doubling down on their strengths to woo customers to their showrooms. From offering the widest bouquet of options to consumers to offering the buyer a chance for a grander lifestyle, Indian car brands are working hard to differentiate themselves in a cluttered market. For instance, the marketing focus of Mahindra and Mahindra’s (M&M) lifestyle SUVs is around its vehicles’ performance. “We have a focus on our core DNA with four brands — Scorpio, Bolero, Thar and XUV.

We have invested our energy, effort, time and investment into ensuring that our SUVs are authentic and stand out on performance, safety and class-leading technologies,” said Veejay Nakra, president, automotive division, M&M. “Moreover, our products are not merely modes of transportation but a doorway to a lifestyle of adventure,” he said.

The company in 2021 also changed its logo – from three stripes in an oval that resembled the letter M – to a new twin peaks logo. This, Nakra said, helps the company reinforce its image as “an authentic SUV player that makes sophisticated world-class products.

Hyundai, meanwhile, appeals to customers with the largest SUV portfolio in India, ergo, a myriad of options. The company is the country’s only carmaker “to offer a wide range of SUVs, starting from entry model – Hyundai Exter – till the premium range which includes a total of eight SUVs,” said Virat Khullar, AVP and group head, marketing, Hyundai Motor India. Essentially, there’s an SUV for each kind of Indian consumer, he said.
At Tata Motors, the focus is on the safety credentials of its cars, which are some of the best in the country, among other factors.

“From giving India its first indigenously made SUV and passenger car to India’s first GNCAP (a non-profit focusing on road safety and rates cars for safety) 5-star rated car, first mass-market accessible EV and with our ‘New Forever’ brand philosophy, we have refreshed and upgraded our portfolio with speed and agility, in line with fast-evolving customer needs and lifestyles,” said Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles. Tata Motors company is also the largest seller of electric cars in India. “Going forward, the megatrends around safety, connectivity and sustainability are going to drive the automotive industry,” Chandra said.