[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by DriveOnceMore

For Maruti Suzuki Alto looses 23% customers. Question is 'to whom?'.
To Renault Kwid or to Tata Tiago?
Or company is shifting from old model to new upcoming facelift model?

The facelift is still some time away I guess.

I would say Alto's drop was a gain for Kwid and Tiago combined.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

The facelift is still some time away I guess.

Alto face lift is coming in May 2016 ( 3rd week?)

[mudhasir]

Almost all the vehicles of Honda barring City have managed to feature in top losers of the month. I don't know why CRV is missing in top losers list but it has also dropped by almost 50% and deserves a position there.

Going by BR-V pricing and competitiveness, Honda appears to be unaffected with their slump in market. Will they ever wake up and start acting competitive?

[bluevolt]

Out of all the sales figures, new launches, facelift and so on, what catches my attention is the sales figures of the WagonR.

The current car is 6 years old in terms of generation ( All new WagonR with K series was launched in April 2010), and yet with hardly any major cosmetic/mechanical upgrades, Maruti is selling almost 14000-15000 units of the car!

New cars may be coming and going. WagonR is enjoying its sheer presence in the market unaffected by anything.

One brilliant, practical car for anyone

[aseemjuneja86]

Nissan was one of the principal sponsors of the T20 World cup in Mar-Apr. I don't see any uptick in sales due to this. What a phenomenal waste of money. Instead of concentrating on improving dealership experience they are taking the easy way out.

Honda's sales cannot be sustained just with the City. I'm extremely disappointed with Honda's handling of the BR-V. This product is a huge failure as far as my prediction goes. From a product perspective they shouldn't have added the third row of seats. The third row made them stretch the vehicle and now it looks like the failed Mobilio. Product differentiation should have been much more since they knew there would be an overlap between the 2 cars. On top of this they over-priced the BR-V ! When will this company ever learn ?!

It's amazing to see the Fortuner de-throned. It did not deserve to rule the segment for so long ! Sadly due to the diesel ban on cars above 2000 CC in Delhi NCR I have not see the endeavour on the roads.

Dzire's sales drop could have been production adjustment to cope with the ban on diesel Taxi's in Delhi NCR. Also it's amazing how Maruti can always deliver super hits one after the other. Brezza off to a flying start !

Innova's sales will never be the same if the ban on diesel cabs' continues. I overheard in one of the dealerships that a guy who owns and runs 270 innova's in the BPO sector is losing sleep big time since he owes huge sums of money to the banks.

[hareesh3395]

Congrats to the mighty Ford Endeavour for taking the spot of the Fortuner. I'm expecting the brezza to surpass creta's numbers shortly. Hyundai and mahindra doing steady numbers. Honda is facing the heat from ciaz and if Hyundai launches the Verna next year Honda should improve the city's quality gone are those days when Honda city was perceived as a premium product. Ford must do something to improve sales figures of figo twins. Congrats to Renault India for taking the 4th spot, now they need to bring their european products to India, Clio and a c segment sedan replacing the ageing Scala. Tiago deserves better numbers and the upcoming kite ,hexa and nexon will change fortunes for Tata motors in India. Nothing much to say about vw, Skoda and Fiat

Mod Note : Please do NOT use acronyms (e.g. ANHC, T-Fort) when referring to cars. You are ONLY permitted to use the full Make & Model name for cars. Thanks!

[hemanth.anand]

Happy to see monopolies being challenged.

Kwid challenging the Alto
Endeavour challenging/dethroning the Fortuner
Brezza challenging the Creta (still early agrees).


40 Abarths were sold last month budget effect) and now back to 11.
Polo less than 2000 Polos.
Even if half of those are GTs, it is an indication that Indians are still not buying hot hatches even if offered at reasonable prices.

[Khushrav]

Tiago, BRV and Amaze surpised me with low volumes. While the BEV had less than a fortnight, the other numbers are scary.
The BRV with a 7 seat configuration is a disruptive product and should do reasonably well. for TATA the earliest disruptive model seems about a year away with the NEXON.

Extending the same theme, the Eco Sport and Duster too were unique propositions and that is what got them the market share. TATA will need that....fast!!

Can someone tonk the heads of Skoda guys. Their best car get the worst possible volume distribution and it reflects in the sales.

[mukul32]

Another month, another case of Maruti simply owning the market (okay, at least half of it, literally!), another case of the laggards falling even deeper, and the usual stuff. But we have talked about it a lot before. What's new this time around? There are a few points, thankfully.

Just couldn't help but notice the stats of Chevrolet and Datsun. One is the ace brand of one of the biggest and most powerful automotive corporations of the world with a long history to their name and significant duration of presence in India too. The other is a revived moniker of an erstwhile maker of el cheapo cars, by a company which itself is new to the Indian market.
One has a range of seven cars across different segments and sizes, with a range of competent to class-leading engines. The other has just two cars, that too off the same platform and a single petrol engine, one decent and the other decidedly appalling. The latter also has a much thinner service network and inferior brand recall. And guess what?
The former sells a grand total of 2063 cars last month, from seven products at a paltry average of ~294 units per product, while the latter manages to sell 1796 cars from just two products (~900 units per product).
Now that was not a glory hymn for Datsun or anything. That was a perspective of just how badly GM has fallen in the Indian market. And it's not as if they were too adamant, or they didn't try anything, either. Seems like warranty and service schemes don't sell cars after all.

Anyways, the compact SUV space is also up for some action, now that it has opened up a lot. The Creta's monopoly so far looks like it's gonna end with the arrival of good competition. Surprisingly, the Creta's numbers seem to have affected mostly by the lower-positioned Brezza. Maruti should be happy, shouldn't they?
The Honda BR-V has also just turned up, and though it looks too shallow a product (actually just as shallow as its rivals are) to you and me, it does have seven seats, a seriously efficient diesel motor, lots of visual mass, and the Honda badge that still holds value in the public. Honda might just be up to something here. However, if popular opinion once goes against it, it may hardly last much at all.
The TUV has dropped in numbers, the EcoSport continues lowish sales, and the NuvoSport and Quanto were actually up for sale side-by-side
By the way, Mahindra have a rather ambitious target of ~1500 units per month for the NuvoSport. 'All the best' is all I can say.

The compact sedan segment on the other hand (or should I just call it the Dzire segment?) has had very little action. The Dzire continues to own the segment time and again. The Amaze got a much needed facelift and that should widen its appeal significantly. The Aspires and Zests continue mediocre numbers, the Xcent was thrown out of the top 20, and there is no new car in the pipeline apart from the Ameo, which itself is barely 'new' in the first place. Not very surprising state of affairs for a segment that has little substance to it, especially since the hatchbacks have gotten so good.

Renault are now fourth in the table ahead of Honda, a commendable achievement. The Kwid has had an excellent response, and the Duster continues to soldier on with the recent update. So things are looking solid for them. They only need to remember that India is more a market of car-buyership experiences than the actual cars, and get their dealer network and service sorted fast. Lest they become another Ford in the future.
And I feel, at this point, they should think of having an impact hatch/sedan in the B-segment and a premium product or two in the near future, to further establish their brand here. They should not risk being typecast by the market due to the Duster and the Kwid being very similar in character.

Apart from that, there's not been anything too unusual. The i20 outsold the lower-priced i10 this month, the Endeavour finally outsold the Fortuner, the City dropped but again outsold the Ciaz, and the ol' Alto outsold VW, Skoda, Chevrolet, Nissan, Datsun, Fiat and Mitsubishi - all put TOGETHER!!

I remember a line said elsewhere by one of our DBHPians:
"India is a market that plays by its own rules, and the winners here are likely to be losers everywhere else."

[farooq817]

Thanks. The much awaited figures are here for April. And they are quite interesting indeed. A few points from my end.

Ford: The misery just continues for the Figo twins. Every month, the sales just keep falling. Ecosport as well seems to be facing a bit of heat from the Vitara Brezza. The Endeavor finally displaces the mighty Fortuner. This is going to be interesting to see in the future. Looks like the verdict of the customers is split between the 2 ends of the globe (Toyota and Ford).

Honda: What happened to the Jazz??? Quite surprising to see the huge fall in numbers of the Jazz. I was actually expecting people who wanted a premium petrol hatchback without any waiting period would go to the Jazz instead of the Baleno which could give Honda the numbers. A big surprise. Is it due to the BR-V launch? Should not be that way. Any news guys?
City continues with the trend in the C2 segment. It will be an interesting battle when next gen Verna and City are released.

Hyundai: April seemed to have been a good month for Hyundai. Almost every major car from their stable had an increase in the sales compared to last month. The Creta just seems unstoppable. No amount of competition seems to be sufficient. It just keeps going strongly month after month. The Baleno has not had any impact on the sales of the i20. The added safety features on all variants of their major cars is an added advantage.

Mahindra: I guess after the initial dispatches of the NuvoSport, it will settle in the 3 figure numbers. KUV100 going strong irrespective of its quirky design (atleast in my opinion).

Maruti: Surprised by the numbers the Dzire has got for April. Any reason why there is a 25% drop this month? Baleno effect? Looks like Maruti is concentrating now on the Indian market again after the initial dispatches to Europe and Japan. I guess the 8-9k numbers would continue for a while now but considering the number of NEXA showrooms that the car is retailed from, it surely is a commendable performance. And what about the Alto? Is it because of the expected launch of the facelift model that is being shown?
S-Cross showing its regular numbers. I guess the car will settle there without bothering anyone in the competition.

Renault: Finally, coming to the Renault. Kwid is close to the 10k mark and I feel that next month we are going to see it cross that. Moving to the 4th position is a remarkable achievement. And dare i say it with just one car in their portfolio giving the chunk of numbers. Just goes to show that one good car can change the fortunes for a company. Fiat, VW, are you listening? Lets just hope that Renault ASS lives up to the expectation of all the new customers who have put their trust behind the brand.

[jpcoolguy]

Thanks Aditya for the eagerly awaited monthly sales analysis - rated the thread a well deserved 5 stars.

Below are some of the my observations:

1. Alto has sold only 16,583 units Last time it happened was again on Apr '14 when it sold 16,763 units.
2. While Swift and Wagon-R sold more units, surprisingly Dzire dropped to 4th spot - is it something to do with the launch of Brezza and more dispatches of Baleno.
3. Kwid is yet to touch 10K mark, but giving its competitors a run for their money, while Eon is holding stead at around 5.5K units.
4. Tiago started with decent opening and need to see whether this is going to be a hit or a dud in upcoming months. Atleast it should sell at the levels of KUV 100 which is selling more than 5K units which is quite good for the model which split opinions at the time of launch.
5. And after a long time, Zest has lost the battle to its taxi segment sibling Indigo. In the Compact Sedan space, as always Amaze numbers are swinging MoM and Aspire still continue at the last place despite the segment's most competent product. And the biggest surprise in the segment is the downfall of mighty Dzire.
6. New Figo has hit a new low and now it's safe to assume that its a failure - what a fall from the previous gen Figo which once was in the Top 3 in the segment.
7. Liva sales have been dwindled in last 2 months and settled around 1.2K and Etios have also taken a hit and plunged below 2K after a long time - Sep '14 to be precise.
8. i20 and Creta are continuing their Bull runs for Hyundai, while Baleno and Brezza are quite close on their heels to catch them.
9. With everything down except City, it is one of the lowest selling month for Honda in a long time almost taking them back to 2013.
10. Finally, the new Endy had taken down the mighty Fortuner and become the segment leader . Hope it will be able to hold the place until the new Fortuner hit the shores.
11. Toyota has sold 4269 units of the new Innova Crysta which I would say is a very good opening for the MPV and going by the craze for the car, it may be able to sustain this number. But, other than Innova Toyota is losing out on all the other models - Liva, Etios, Fortuner.
12. Tata is also in the same state as Toyota - they were able to ship out 3049 units of Tiago but that had taken a heavy toll on Bolt, selling only 290 units and Zest also dropped the numbers - quite sad.
13. The battle between City and Ciaz is tightening and surprising Verna crossed 2K units - new advertisement helping. Looks like Verna has stolen some numbers from Rapid which was down to 621 units from its monthly average of 900-1K units.
14. The Compact SUV space is where all the action is and Creta still maintains the lead but with the launch of Brezza Maruti is closing on the gap. Ecosport and Duster are holding up for now, but with the launch of new BR-V have to wait and watch the segment.

[jpcoolguy]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I know there is a new Fortuner on the way, but is it for the first time since its launch that the Fortuner has been outsold by a direct rival?

Yes, this is the first time after launch of Fortuner, it has been outsold. Good that it is the new mighty Endeavor and hope it maintain its lead over the Fortuner in the upcoming months too.

Originally Posted by mudhasir

I don't know why CRV is missing in top losers list but it has also dropped by almost 50% and deserves a position there.

Only models with 500+ sales in current/previous months are considered for Gainer/Losers list.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Out of all the sales figures, new launches, facelift and so on, what catches my attention is the sales figures of the WagonR.

The current car is 6 years old in terms of generation ( All new WagonR with K series was launched in April 2010), and yet with hardly any major cosmetic/mechanical upgrades, Maruti is selling almost 14000-15000 units of the car!

New cars may be coming and going. WagonR is enjoying its sheer presence in the market unaffected by anything.

One brilliant, practical car for anyone

Yourself had answered your question - it's a practical car for the family with elders and a no-nonsense budget car. And with the introduction of AMT and optional (O) safety variants, it has become even more VFM and the sales chart are reflection of that.

[aviat18]

The way I see the trends:
- C1 segment is being hijacked by the premium hatchback products. The segment is already hyper-competitive and there are a few more launches on their way. I'd be worried if I were the one launching a C1 segment product in this market

- Maruti's entry level portfolio is under severe attack (by competent products this time around). Kwid is taking away numbers from Alto, and if Tiago can make a dent in Wagon-R and Celerio's sales, that would be a massive hit. I see a lot of Wagon-R's running on CNG (cabs as well as personal). Probably a segment that the competition can tap (frugal 3-cylinder engines with understated yet practical design).

- Baleno is no Swift! Before people jump on my statement, allow me to explain myself. Swift has practically ruled the B2 segment for more than a decade. While Baleno may have a lot going for it, in the premium segment, it will struggle to establish supremacy over Elite i20, in the way Swift established and maintained.

- Hyundai seems to be best placed to witness growth in future. In the 8-15 lakh segment, it has the market leadership position, a position Maruti wants to be in, but simply cannot because of the "lack" of premium in its premium products as well the NEXA strategy.

- Tata probably needs to concentrate on the 2 opposite spectrums of customers. The entry level is taken care of by Tiago. It has the potential to be a game changer. The last mile execution is where Tata needs to up its game, and that's where it has been repeatedly floundering to our utter amazement. B2, C1 segments are super competitive with established players and Tata brings no competitive advantage on the table. If the product is just as good as the competition, it works for Maruti or Hyundai; definitely not Tata. Bring on the Nexon and Hexa, and let the fight begin at the top of the pyramid.

- Renault has broken the myth that Maruti cannot be challenged at the entry level. For a change, Team BHP Car of the Year is actually a market success as well. Next steps - Ramp up the production, increase distribution and go for the kill.

- Honda has been riding on its brand name for far too long now. Unfortunately, with its current line up of over-priced, built-to-cost products, that brand is taking a beating.

- And last but not the least, what's wrong with Ford? They have arguably the best diesel products in the B2 and C1 segment and they are still going downhill. Probably because the market has moved beyond diesel?

If I were Maruti, I'd not rest on my laurels. Maruti's stars in the B2, C1 segment are playing in a super-competitive segment where they don't have the luxury to be the de-facto best product anymore. Their entry level Alto is under threat, and in the premium segment, they are yet to build a truly premium product under 10 lacs.


-

[autobahnjpr]

Toyota has been respected for their out of box strategy and product and market placement. They pulled out Qualis when it was a runaway success and replaced it with costlier Innova. But if there was a critical time for them in the Indian Market, it is now. Toyota has been a leader in D and above segments with a clear lead. With time, cars have become expensive. And both the top sellers of Toyota are now entering with new versions and in costlier avatar. Innova starts at appx. 14 lakhs and goes upto 20.7 lakh and new Fortuner would be upward 30 lakh+ is my guess.
So, will the taxi segment prefer a 15 lakh vehicle or an alternative?
And will Fortuner find buyers with its new pricing which is nearing the territory of German Luxury brands?

Maruti has made sure it has world class offering in the 3 lakh to 15 lakh range where the maximum buyers and maximum sales are there and the only worthy competitor is Hyundai. With Brezza, S-Cross, Ciaz and Baleno, Maruti has made sure that they are relevant for next 2-3 years.

Honda is staring at bad days ahead. Their products are not premium and their quality is not rock solid. I am skeptical of success of BRV going by the past experience of Mobilio. The only shining start is City and it is only because of the past success and brand perception of the model. Their all new launches have not been successful in the long run be it jazz or mobilio.

[Leoshashi]

Thanks Aditya for one of the most awaited threads!!

Maruti needs to commission the Gujarat plant soon. They desperately need additional production capability. The drop in the numbers of Swift/Dzire/Alto point in one direction-it was deliberately done so as to accommodate the additional numbers of Brezza, in addition to the upcoming facelifted Alto 800.

If one notices the total sales of Maruti in March and April, its almost the same. They are struggling to keep pace with the demand-some variants of Baleno and Brezza command crazy waiting periods.

Regards,
Shashi