The small car, once a symbol of middle-class mobility and mass aspiration, is fast disappearing from Indian roads. Entry-level cars priced below Rs 5 lakh, which sold around a million units in FY16, declined to just 25,402 units in FY25. The share of hatchbacks in total car sales has halved, from 47 per cent in 2020 to 24 per cent in 2024. Hatchback sales of India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, fell from 771,478 units in 2020 to 730,766 units in 2024. The plunge has continued in 2025, with sales in the company’s mini segment (Alto and S-Presso) registering a 31.5 per cent year-on-year drop in May, falling to 6,776 units from 9,902 units last year. Hatchback sales at the second-largest small carmaker, Hyundai Motor India, also fell—from 192,080 units in 2020 to 124,082 in 2024.