Top 10 Bestselling Compact SUVs In October 2026: Elevate Sales Increase By More Than 5 Times!

As we step into the busiest week of the year for the Indian automotive industry, it is worth mentioning that October 2026 has been the best month so far, with car sales crossing 5 lakh units for the first time ever. A big role in this achievement is played by the compact SUV segment, which has emerged as the most competitive and lucrative opportunity for all sorts of brands.

Catering to a wide range of buyers, and with facelifts, new launches and updates coming in nearly every month, it's an action-packed space in the Industry, and we now have the numbers which say the same thing as well. Let’s take a detailed look at the top 10 performers in this segment and what the sales data shows:

Key Takeaways

• As usual, the Hyundai Creta continued to dominate this segment with almost 18,000 copies sold last month. Dominating this segment, its numbers remained stable with a 2 percent MoM (month-on-month) growth. Do note that these figures include the Creta N Line and the Creta Electric as well.

• Supported by the largest sales and service network in the country, Maruti’s Victoris retained the second spot with a 28 percent MoM growth. Even its YoY (year-on-year) growth was impressive at 24 percent.

• The Seltos continues to remain popular among buyers, and sold more than 13,000 units in October 2026 with a MoM growth of 7 percent. The new generation, which was launched last year has done wonders for the SUV, as can be seen in the mammoth 88 percent YoY increase in volumes.

• Maruti’s second offering in the segment, the Grand Vitara, managed to cross the 10,000-unit milestone this month with an impressive 32 percent MoM increase in dispatches.

• The Grand Vitara’s rebadged version, the Toyota Hyryder was a different story, with numbers going down by nearly one-third compared to the same month last year. MoM performance remained stable, though, with a 9.6 percent growth.

• Interestingly, Tata Cars dispatched 7,205 units of the Sierra, which was the exact same figure as last month, leading to no difference in its performance. This includes figures for the Sierra EV as well.

• The no-nonsense Honda Elevate’s recent facelift seems to have given it a much needed revival, with the SUV improving its sales by more than fivefold, compared to last month!

• The newly introduced Hyundai Bayon started its first month with a modest (compared to its sibling Creta) 3,449 units. It remains to be seen how it performs in the coming months as the initial sales hype dies down.

• Tata’s quirky coupe-SUV, the Curvv, sold almost 2,400 units, which kept its MoM figure stable. Its recent ‘Series X’ update does seem to have boosted its appeal, though, as can be seen in the 66 percent improvement in YoY figures. These volumes are inclusive of the Curvv EV too.

• Skoda’s Kushaq came in at the tenth spot, dispatching a smidge under 1,100 cars. Increased competition and newer models seem to have put pressure on the SUV, which is reflected in the 5 percent and 10 percent decrease in its MoM and YoY volumes, respectively.

CarDekho Says…

October 2026 has been quite the month for OEMs, and the sales data certainly shows a positive sentiment despite recent deterrents such as higher oil prices and inflationary pressures. Unlike a few years ago, when small cars dominated the market, the compact SUV segment has now taken over with plenty of options to choose from and competitive packages on offer. What also helped volumes this month was the impending festive season, which pushed manufacturers to ramp up production and clock in more dispatches than ever before. Overall, with most brands posting decent sales growth, this segment is more attractive than ever before for buyers and manufacturers alike.