As Vikram Mehta, a 42 -year -old IT professional, navigate in his recently purchased SUV through the chaotic roads in Mumbai, his car also predicts danger before she can react before. “Alert for careless lane changes has saved me from confrontation at least twice this year,” he says.
Mehta is part of a growing trend in India, where consumers are giving priority to safety, convenience and personal experiences while buying new cars.
Large -scale market car manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Mahindra, Hyundai, Honda, and JSW MG Motor are seeing an increase in demand for vehicles equipped with advanced premium features. These include anti-trading systems, remote services, overtaking sensors, large infotainment touch screen, 360-degree cameras, parking aids, and ventilated seats, which are rapidly affecting many new car purchasing decisions.
More than 60% of the new vehicle models launched in India in 2024 offer advanced digital interfaces, a trend that was once exclusive to luxury cars, showing the data collided by Jeto Dynamics.
Companies believe that Indian buyers are now ready to pay a premium for peace of mind and advanced technology. For example, Tata Motors is looking at the growing demand of models offering ventilated seats and premium audio systems. A company spokesperson said that models such as Safari SUVs are attracting customers who desire more upmarket cabin experience.
Similarly, Hyundai just saw the important product premium in the finished financial year. Tarun Garg, Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai Motor India, said, “Every other car sold by Hyundai in the Indian market was equipped with a sunroof, which was 53.2% of our total sales, which was 48.5% in FY 2014.” In addition, 85%of the portfolio of the automaker, or 12 of the 14 models, are currently sunroof-fitted variants, indicating changes to more premium features.
Security is also the highest priority for buyers. The advances in driver aid technologies have made vehicles more secure than ever. Kunal Behal, vice-president of marketing and sales at Honda Cars India, shared that Honda City and Amazon come from top-grade variants with over 60% of sales, and more than 60% of Honda elevate sales, advanced facilities.
Even M&M, traditionally known for its rugged vehicles, incorporating high-end features in its new electric SUV, such as BE6 and XAV9 at more affordable price points. According to Automotive, Veejay Nakra in M&M, customers are choosing options for top versions that include remote-controlled auto-parks, promoted-cosmic head-up displays and ventilated seats.
Demand for tech-powered dynamics solutions and hyper-personal experiences continues. JSW Mg Motor India estimates more sophisticated innovations such as marketing, rakesh sen, rakesh Sen, AI-run interface and sustainability-focused features that become a major sales points. “Connectivity is now required as a given as a given. With more than 50% ADAS and connected features of our portfolio, we are leading the charge in shift towards smart cars,” he said.
However, this bounce in advanced features comes in the midst of a serious reality. In 2024, India recorded around 188,000 deaths in road accidents, according to preliminary estimates from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. It keeps India among the world’s tallest roads worldwide. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has repeatedly emphasized the immediate need for solution, with technology that plays an important role in addressing this crisis.