Travel bookings for SUV surge to 36%, while hatchbacks slip to 51% in 2025

Indians are no longer waiting for the perfect vacation - they’re hitting the road more often and on their own terms. According to Zoomcar's Travel Trends 2025 report, a whopping 71% of all trips were under two days in, showing a clear surge in quick getaways, up from 66% in 2023.

Simultaneously, longer trips of over 7 days grew by 28%, signaling a rise in workcations and remote work-fueled mobility.

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Based on internal bookings and behavioral data comparing Financial Year 2024 to Financial Year 2025, the report captures the pulse of a nation increasingly embracing flexible, frequent, and self-powered travel.

The report highlights a striking generational shift: Gen Z (ages 18–25) now contributes to 31% of all trips, up from 22% just last year. This cohort is fueling a rise in solo travel, offbeat destinations, and flexible travel windows - transforming how India thinks about road travel.

Indians are increasingly traveling together - with bookings for 6-7 seater vehicles rising from 16% to 18%.

SUVs are the preferred vehicle of choice, climbing from 30% to 36% of total bookings, while hatchbacks saw a dip from 57% to 51%. Style, space, and safety are becoming non-negotiable on the road.

Beyond metros, the road trip wave is being led by tier-II and III cities. Travel bookings from tier-II cities grew 30%, while tier-III cities rose 14%. Cities like Jaipur, Indore, Siliguri, and Madurai witnessed significant upticks in self-drive rentals, signaling a broadening appetite for independent travel across India’s heartland.

Read more: Gen Z, Millennials, and solo women adventurers drive 2025 travel trends: Report

Zoomcar witnessed a 125% spike in bookings around key festive weekends - such as Holi, Republic Day, and Gandhi Jayanti - underscoring the shift from planned vacations to spontaneous, calendar-driven escapes.

Speaking on the trends, Abhilash Kasliwal, Business Head , Zoomcar said, “Self-drive travel is no longer a niche, it's a lifestyle. Whether it’s a solo Gen Z traveler heading out for a digital detox, or a family SUV escape.”