The October 2011 sales figures are manifested under very abnormal conditions- very rarely do such conditions come into play all at once.The first was the sky-rocketing retail petrol prices and its differential with ruling retail diesel prices, next the roof touching car loan interest rates and lastly the shutdown at MSIL, the largest car maker much like GM for us here. As in the US they used to say "whats good for the GM is good for the US", we here are yet to devise such phrases or wise-cracks here in India.
But all the odds and evens added made the Top 20 list full of seismic shocks for MSIL.
The Alto remained unbeaten but had to swallow a humble pie with lower sales, the lowest since a long time. Had the Hyundai i10 come out with its diesel variant, I am sure it could have toppled the Alto at least last month! The Indica/Vista has as I had said, not performed any miracles but the lower diesel price blessed the hatch.Imagine the Bolero beating the Wagon R !!
It happens only in India! The Swift despite one of the worst scenarios in MSIL since 1984, emerged with sales of 7845 units.The usual best sellers from MSIL are all there but are beaten by other brands-all pipe-dreams for us during normal times and when the going is good!
But when a reigning champion is down with flu, yet joins the competition but is beaten black and blue by the nos. 2,3,4, in several competitive sweepstakes, no one understands the flu. The media headlines proclaim "No. Uno beaten black and blue by nos. 2,3,4 and so on.Thats what competition is all about.
The car makers who were having their "Indian Dreams" like GM, Ford,VW, Toyota (for the smaller cars) and even Nissan are now getting a good pie of the market. Their diesel variants and the mid 2011, MSIL propofol dose (not lethal like Michael Jackson- MSIL at least woke up) went on a big way to prop up their sales figures.
The Mahindra Scorpio at # 16 (sweet) looks beautiful. The Innova is again down to # 19 below the Scorpio.
Look at what the transformation of the Verna has done-the 4217 units it sold is nearly more than three times the older Verna sales.
Tata had introduced the Sumo Grande which is a flop UV. The Sumo was selling so well in the taxi segment. Tata thought the Grande will take the Sumo's crown and do exceedingly well. But no way! The Taveras and Boleros have captured that late 1990's niche of the Sumo and the Trax. Tata should seriously reshape the Sumo and launch a 6-7 L Sumo with a new engine to again take back its old share for the brand equity it still has.
The Nano at # 17 selling 3868 units, with so many offers (including meeting Mr Ratan Tata in person in some showrooms) and the October festival season proves that it is with the Aria, continuing as a source of migraine for Tata Motors. Only pray it does not develop into a brain tumour!
The Ambassador sales at 161 units outsells all other cars by HM-Mitsubishi. It has happily also outsold the Fiat Linea (127 units). The Mitsubishis other than the Pajero (150 units) don't sell.
And what a surprise here ? The A Star sold 277 units and the Gypsy 270 units. The A Star was supposed to be the Alto in its latest avatar! The Manesar shut down was perhaps responsible for the dismal figure of 277. But if there are no buyers be it Manesar or Sanand, the car remains a lemon.
The Verito is a 2011 success story. Thats marketing.Its sales figures were matching with the Ambassadors at < 500 units in 2010. But at 1818 units, its a soother now for M&M.
The Suzuki Kizashi at 3 units has outsold the Hyundai Sonata which sold 2 units.Petrol power for premium cars that is! And the Vitara- ZERO units!
November 2011 may spring more surprises. The Eon and the XUV500, both new launches shall do better. The petrol prices have been again jacked up.The Indigo/Indica stand to gain.Manesar is regaining its figures with the pigeons of peace flying above it. These pigeons need to be there and not shooed away.