From Lamborghini to Porsche, why India’s new-age entrepreneurs are choosing luxury SUVs over traditional sedans

India’s luxury automobile market is seeing a change in what success looks like on the road. For a growing group of entrepreneurs, business leaders, athletes and entertainers, the traditional luxury sedan is no longer the only way to signal status. Instead, high-performance SUVs such as the Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche are becoming increasingly attractive to buyers who want a combination of performance, practicality and a strong road presence.

The shift reflects a broader change in India’s wealthy consumer base. The new generation of affluent buyers is often made up of self-made entrepreneurs, startup founders, investors, entertainers and sportspersons who have built their fortunes through businesses and careers rather than simply inheriting them. For them, a luxury vehicle is a sign of more than wealth. It can also become a marker of a journey.

Why SUVs are gaining ground among wealthy buyers


Traditional luxury sedans have long occupied an important place in the premium automobile market. But SUVs offer something sedans cannot easily match, the ability to combine everyday usability with performance. For example, the Lamborghini Urus is a clearest case of this change.

Internationally, names such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Dwayne Johnson, LeBron James and Justin Bieber have been associated with the model or customised versions of it.

Among Indian and Indian-origin personalities, the vehicle has also been linked with personalities from very different fields, including business leader Adar Poonawalla, actors Ranveer Singh, Junior NTR and Kartik Aaryan, filmmaker Rohit Shetty, cricketers Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, entrepreneur Capt. Arun Kar (Retd.).

That is significant because it shows how the luxury SUV has moved beyond being a niche automobile for traditional industrial wealth. It has become part of the lifestyle associated with India's newer generation of high-profile achievers.

India’s luxury buyer is becoming more diverse

The changing preference also reflects how India's wealth is being created. Business founders, technology entrepreneurs, entertainers, professional athletes and investors are increasingly visible in the country's luxury-consumption landscape.

Their journeys are often very different, but the symbolism attached to an expensive automobile can be similar. For someone who has spent years building a company, expanding internationally or establishing a career, a luxury car can represent a milestone, a tangible reminder of how far they have travelled.

That sentiment is particularly relevant for first-generation entrepreneurs, whose wealth is often closely connected with personal risk-taking and years of work.

Luxury is becoming more personalised

Another important feature of the segment is personalisation. At the very top end of the automobile market, the final price of a vehicle can vary substantially depending on its specification, taxes, bespoke features and individual customisation.

That makes the purchase less about simply selecting a model from a showroom and more about creating a vehicle that reflects the owner's preferences. For ultra-high-net-worth buyers, this level of personalisation adds another layer to the ownership experience. The car becomes an expression of individual taste rather than simply a transportation choice.

A new generation behind the wheel

The rise of the luxury SUV also coincides with the emergence of entrepreneurs whose careers span multiple countries and industries. The car is becoming a symbol of the journey

For India's new-age entrepreneurs, luxury consumption increasingly appears to be tied to personal achievement. A car like the Lamborghini Urus or Aston Martin DBXmay command a price well above ₹6-7 crore depending on its specification, taxes and bespoke additions. At that level, the purchase is clearly about more than basic transportation.

But for many owners, the automobile can serve as a visible milestone after years of taking risks and building businesses. That is perhaps why the luxury SUV has found such strong resonance among entrepreneurs and other self-made achievers.