Tall. Loud. Proud

Yesterday, a man with a crore of rupees lived in a stratosphere all his own, a crorepati, looked up to with awe and veneration. Today, the crore has been humbled. It doesn’t go very far, which strips our man of his wonderand chutzpah. But as a little bird points out, our crorepatican still buy a flat in the suburbs, invest in fixed deposit schemes and get enough returns to buy a daily samosa or two. Or our man can be very smart—by my yardstick—and get himself a Toyota Vellfire, Land Rover Discovery or Defender, BMW X3 or IX, Audi Q5 or Q6 e-tron, top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz GLA or GLC, or a Jeep Grand Cherokee and go nuts accessorizing it.

Yes, we are talking SUVs, a species in which wheels with good lineage don’t come cheap. But for those who possess a disposable crore and have the rageful streak of Greek goddess Lyssa, SUVs can make you feel taller than Auxesia. For SUVs sit you high enough to lord over others who are a storey or two below you on the road, they have the ability to go just about anywhere that wheels can (ad)venture, they deliver enough diesel power to make you feel brawny, and they are flashy enough to make you feel like a man, even making you forget the things that make you small where it really matters. That, perhaps, is why most of Bollywood now travels in SUVs, with the rest of India playing catch-up.

Chariot of the Rich

The numbers don’t lie. India’s SUV market has exploded, with premium and luxury segments charting double-digit growth even as other automobile categories battle price sensitivity. According to recent data from Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, SUVs now account for nearly 50 percent of all passenger vehicle sales in India, a seismic shift from just a decade ago. Mind you, this is not just about bigger wheels or bulkier builds. It is a cultural phenomenon. In the new India, to sit high is to rise in the pecking order, and to drive a luxury SUV is to flaunt your arrival in style.

The machines we named in this article’s opening burst are among the most lusted-after, carrying sticker prices north of Rs 1 crore in most of their trims. Yet, the waiting lists are long. And growing. Buyers are willing to wait for months to lay their hands on these mechanical showpieces, which double as status signatures.

The appeal is primal and layered. SUVs deliver a position that commands authority—a consciousness as psychological as it is physical. They offer a sense of invincibility on India’s unpredictable roads, with their height and heft insulating occupants from potholes, slushand everyday chaos. Most variants come packed with more technology than a luxury apartment. You get panoramic sunroofs, AI-assisted infotainment and sound systems, ventilated pure leather seats, advanced driver-assistance systems, whisper-quiet cabins… For performance purists, there’s torque enough to challenge a small hurricane.

Symbol of Status, Lifestyle

This is not just an Indian story; it’s part of a global automotive shift. According to International Energy Agency, SUVs account for nearly half of all global car sales. In India, the trend is turbocharged by rising disposable incomes, aspirational consumption and the undeniable optics of driving something that says “I’ve arrived.” As an auto analyst observed: “The SUV has replaced the bungalow as the most visible marker of wealth. It is mobile status, not static real estate.”

Take the Land Rover Defender—rugged yet exquisite, a beast that can crush gravel tracks and yet glide like silk on city roads. Or Toyota’s Vellfire—a favourite with the rich for its limousine-like cabin and bulletproof reliability. The BMW iX, fully-electric and dripping with future tech, has become a darling of the eco-conscious elite who want their green statements to roar, not whisper. The Audi Q6 e-tron, the new kid on the block, blends German precision with zero-emission cred, making it the toy of choice for a generation that flaunts both power and polish.

Luxury has its own pecking order. The British names—Land Rover and Defender—bring legacy and off-road swagger. The Germans—BMW, Audi, and Mercedes—serve engineering elegance with an accent. The Americans—Jeep—add muscle and machismo. The Japanese—Toyota—offer a silent promise: it will never break down, no matter how you drive it.

SUVs aren’t just ostentation. For many, they are as much a lifestyle choice as one of mobility. Long-distance drives, mountain retreatsand quick getaways are being built into India’s urban imagination. A tall, powerful SUV fits into this narrative with cinematic ease. When highways stretch wider, SUVs feel like an open invitation.

Mass Market’s Own Beasts

Sure, the crorepatis set the tone, but their influence trickles down to every Indian. What starts with a Defender often finds its echo in a Creta or Seltos. India’s mid-segment SUV market is no less explosive. Models like the Nexon, XUV700, Grand Vitaraand Venue are racking up volumes like never before. In fact, the Creta has often topped India’s overall passenger vehicle sales charts, a feat that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Experts attribute this to two key factors—design and aspiration. Compact and mid-size SUVs offer the same high-seating and rugged looks as their luxury cousins, but at a fraction of the price. They deliver reliable performance, decent fuel efficiency and the cachet of owning something taller and more commanding than a hatchback or sedan. This is a democratization of the ‘big car feeling’.

Performance rankings shift with time, but for sheer reliability and sales traction, models like Creta, Seltos, Nexon and XUV700 are consistent crowd favourites. The Nexon’s safety credentials, the XUV’s raw power, the Creta’s refinement and the Grand Vitara’s hybrid advantage have built loyal followings. In the under-Rs 20-lakh bracket, these SUVs offer a blend of practicality and perceived prestige.

Look and Feel Matter

Done and dusted, the luxury SUV space remains a rarefied world, with personalization, brand stories and emotional strings playing as big a role as horsepower. Buyers of a Q6 e-tron or Defender aren’t just looking at specs; they are buying a mood, a silhouette, a power statement. “For the rich, it’s not about getting from point A to B—it’s about how you feel (and look) on that journey,” says anexpert.

There is also electricity flowing through the market, literally. EV SUVs are becoming the new frontier. Apart from BMW and Audi, Volvo’s XC40 Recharge and Mercedes-Benz’ EQB are gaining. Carmakers are betting on India’s EV transition, even as the infrastructure plays catch-up. The result is a layered market where diesel and petrol brawn meets EV sophistication. The road ahead is anything but flat. As infrastructure expands and incomes rise, the SUV segment is projected to grow at a scorching pace. Analysts forecast sustained double-digit growth, driven by both premium and affordable segments. What we are seeing is not a bubble, it is a reshaping of motoring aspirations and enthusiasm.

End of day, our crorepati has more choices than ever. He can go old school with a growling diesel beast or glide into tomorrow with an electric cruiser. The middle-class, meanwhile, queues up to buy its own scaled-down dream on wheels. Today’s reality is that SUVs in India aren’t just a vehicle anymore. They are theatre on four wheels. And India, clearly, is ready for an encore.