Re: June 2011 : Indian Car Sales Figures Movers & Shakers:
- Overall, not a bright month for most manufacturers. Astronomically high petrol prices & rising interest rates are impacting growth.
- Headlines scream that Maruti's June 2011 sales are the lowest in 2 years. You can gauge the effect of the strike on the Dzire itself! However, even those cars unaffected by the strike have performed lower M-O-M (Omni, Estilo, Eeco, A-Star and even the Alto, though by far the best selling car in India). The practical, well-priced WagonR is able to sustain its impeccable performance and is the 2nd best selling car in the country. SX4 does miserably, though we can term the lull as only temporary, considering the diesel engine. Kizashi is officially a market failure. Well, it was priced to be from day 1.
- The C segment is like the Formula 1 world championship of 2010; new race winners ever so often. The new champion of the 7 - 10 lakh rupee sedan segment is the Hyundai Verna, for the 2nd month in a row. It's lead is so far ahead that the competition (currently) isn't even close. The Verna's design & fluidic branding seem to have worked wonders. Everyone I know, including people who don't usually talk about cars, is raving about the "fluidic's" great looks. Hyundai is also covering a wide price spectrum with 4 engines options.
- Say hello to the best selling sedan in the Indian market today; the Toyota Etios. Sure, it's no.1 position is due to the Dzire suffering a production setback, yet the 5,000 / month tally is simply outstanding. Don't forget that it doesn't even have a diesel engine on offer yet. I'm a huge fan of the Etios' torquey 1.5L engine, space, ride & handling and am happy to see the budget sedan where it is today. For the first time since its launch, the Innova is NOT Toyota's best selling product. Yet, the Innova remains the indisputed 8 - 12 lakh MUV leader. Doesn't look like the facelift did anything for the Corolla's fortunes. It's beaten by both, the Laura & the Cruze (in particular). The Fortuner meanwhile redefines the 20 lakh segment with its usual 1,000 / month score card. Liva despatches have begun, while the CBU-priced Camry remains a failure.
- It's amazing what a price cut and the resultant VFM can do to your product offering. The Honda City is back in the business, and overtakes the Vento again. Question is : Can it sustain this performance? With only a petrol engine? Honda should now realise that the Jazz, Civic & Accord also need price corrections, if their dismal market performance is anything to go by. Swallow the bitter pill, Honda, and move on.
- Hyundai's hatchbacks also bring in strong performances, and contribute to the company gaining marketshare in July 2011 (where most others have lost). Right from the cheap, yet competent, Santro to the premium i20, the sales performance is superb. The Sonata remains a dud though, and the Santa Fe - while no competition to the Fortuner - manages about as much as the Pajero & gang.
- Mixed bag of results at Tata headquarters. While the Nano's 5,500 sales are nothing to scoff at, it's still a sub-par performance for what is the cheapest car in India. Tata is unable to give the Nano the marketing & distribution brilliance that Maruti gives the Alto. On the other hand, the Indica sisters (Indica + Vista) post a very strong month crossing the 8,000 mark. The Indigo + Manza aren't performing up to expectation; the cut-price Indigo CS should bring in greater volumes, while the hugely competent Manza alone deserves to sell 5,000 copies a month. BHPian Arjab shares that the reason for the spike in Aria numbers is that despatches of the cheaper 4x2 variant have begun.
- Despatches of the new Fiesta haven't started yet (should in July). Figo seems to be settling down to a 5,000 odd monthly tally. Good for Ford, but considering its VFM price & diesel engine, the Figo should have been garnering consistent 6,500 - 7,000 sales. Ford needs to aggressively push the hatchback in the hugely competitive B segment.
- While the Vento & Polo are doing respectably well, the former simply isn't maximising the market potential. The Vento's diesel is the best in class and the sedan is one of the few all-rounders in the segment. 2.5K for the Vento is strictly average market performance, considering the product potential, while the Polo's 2.6K in the volumes-laden hatchback segment is nothing to write home about either. Clearly, Volkswagen needs to do more on the marketing & distribution front.
- Skoda has a good month with the Laura at nearly 700 units (even May 2011 was mid 600s) and the Superb comfortably demolishing all of its competitors. The Fabia, once tagged a failure, benefits from repositioning and is doing 3X the sales it was a year back. I find the Yeti's market performance very peculiar; it's amongst the best urban SUVs on sale in India, extremely well-engineered, versatile, packed to the gill with high quality parts and is easy to drive. Still, the Indian buyer doesn't seem to have taken to its small dimensions (for the price) & presence (we all need our SUVs to be brash & imposing, perhaps??).
- The Spark & Cruze continue to be Chevy's star performers. Strange for the Beat to be unable to sustain the 3,000 levels. It's a well-priced modern hatchback. The Beat diesel will surely regenerate market interest. Just hope that the 3 cylinder diesel is acceptably refined. Meanwhile the quick Cruze, and by a huge margin, is the No.1 C+ segment sedan in India.
- The Linea seems to be taking a beating from the slew of launches in the C segment. The Verna, Fiesta, Vento & SX4, all, now offer diesel engines. Still, the drop of 300 odd units is incredibly steep.
- Hindustan Motors never fails to shock us. The pre-historic Ambassador continues to outsell all of the company's other, more modern cars combined. Lancer + Cedia's meager 7 despatches show the HM management in poor light.
- It's now proven that Mahindra does it better when alone. The Verito @ 1,500 units is superb, when you consider the same car barely managed a third till a year back. Strangely enough, the more expensive Scorpio continues to outsell the cheaper, newer & more spacious Xylo. If you ever wanted to know how much looks & image count, this is it. Meanwhile, the Bolero maintains its domination of the Indian UV segment, and that to Mahindra's bottom line.
- Micra does alright, considering that the brand is new & the dealerships limited.
Last edited by GTO : 4th July 2011 at 10:29.
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