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Gen Z, SUVs, and short getaways are shaping India's road travel in 2025

Short getaways, larger vehicles and a growing host economy are defining India's evolving road travel landscape, according to Zoomcar Holdings' Travel Trends 2025 report. The report shows that 71 per cent of all trips in 2025 were under two days, up from 66 per cent in 2023, pointing to a surge in weekend getaways. At the same time, longer journeys of more than seven days rose by 28 per cent, driven by remote working and 'workation' trends. Bookings saw sharp spikes during festive weekends such as Holi, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti, with a 125 per cent rise compared to regular periods. The findings are based on the car rental firm's internal booking and behavioural data from a sample of nearly a million trips. Gen Z travellers and bigger cars lead the way Travellers aged 18-25, categorised as 'Gen Z', accounted for 31 per cent of all trips in 2025, up from 22 per cent in 2024. This group showed a preference for solo trips, flexible itineraries and offbeat destinations, the report showed. In terms of vehicle preference, SUVs' share of bookings on the platform increased from 30 per cent to 36 per cent year-on-year, while demand for hatchbacks declined from 57 per cent to 51 per cent. Bookings for 6-7 seater cars also rose from 16 per cent to 18 per cent, reflecting growing demand for group and family travel. Smaller cities drive demand for self-rental cars Demand for self-drive rentals is expanding beyond metropolitan areas, the report said. Tier 2 cities recorded a 30 per cent increase in bookings, while Tier 3 cities grew by 14 per cent. Cities such as Jaipur, Indore, Siliguri, and Madurai saw sharp growth in self-drive rentals, indicating a growing preference for independent travel. Overall, Zoomcar bookings rose from 388,000 in FY24 to 427,000 in FY25, marking a 10 per cent increase. The report also revealed that the convenience-driven features are gaining traction on the firm's platform. Home delivery bookings increased by 33 percent during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Also, customer ratings also indicated growing acceptance of car sharing. In 2025, 80 percent of all trips received ratings of four stars or higher, up from 76 percent in 2023. Abhilash Kasliwal, business head at Zoomcar, said the trends showed self-drive travel had 'moved from niche to lifestyle', catering to a variety of travellers, from solo explorers to families while offering hosts a source of passive income.