India, Oct. 12 -- Punekars' choice in cars is shifting from traditional hatchbacks and sedans to sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and compact SUVs; driven by the demand for more space, higher ground clearance, better road visibility and greater convenience for family travel. Vehicle registration data from the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) shows that SUVs and compact SUVs accounted for nearly seven out of every 10 cars registered in the city between January 1 and August 31, 2026. Of the 54,613 cars registered during this period, 38,558 belonged to these two categories, accounting for 70.60% of the total registrations.

The Pune RTO data underlines the growing dominance of SUVs in Pune's passenger vehicle market. During the aforementio...