Zoomcar report says Gen Z , SUVs drive India's new road travel revolution

Zoomcar Holdings, Inc, India’s leading car-sharing marketplace, unveiled its Travel Trends 2025 report, offering a deep dive into the shifting habits of Indian road travelers. 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.

Zoomcar’s data reveals that Indians are no longer waiting for the perfect vacation - they’re hitting the road more often and on their own terms. A whopping 71% of all trips were under 2 days, showing a clear surge in quick getaways, up from 66% in 2023. Simultaneously, longer trips of over 7 days grew by 28%, signalling a rise in workations and remote work-fueled mobility.

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 fuelling 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 2 and 3 cities. Travel bookings from Tier 2 cities grew 30%, while Tier 3 cities rose 14%. Cities like Jaipur, Indore, Siliguri, and Madurai witnessed significant upticks in self-drive rentals, signalling a broadening appetite for independent travel across India’s heartland. 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 noted, “Self-drive travel is no longer a niche, it's a lifestyle. Whether it’s a solo Gen Z traveller heading out for a digital detox, a family SUV escape, or a host earning passive income, Zoomcar is at the centre of this evolving ecosystem. We’re proud to champion flexibility, accessibility, and entrepreneurship through every trip.”

Self-drive isn’t just about convenience, it's building trust. In 2025, 80% of all trips received 4-star and above ratings (up from 76% in 2023). This reflects growing comfort with car sharing and quality of service across the platform. Zoomcar’s host community is growing into a powerful economic engine. By May 2025, hosts had collectively earned Rs 640 crore.

The top hosts earned up to Rs 7 lakh annually per car, with nearly 49% of all active hosts now rated 4.5 stars and above. Hosting on Zoomcar is fast becoming a reliable side hustle and pathway to micro-entrepreneurship. Zoomcar’s home delivery bookings rose 33% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with more users opting for the ease of doorstep access - further cementing self-drive as a habit, not just a holiday hack.