Movers & Shakers
A good month for the top 3 manufacturers! For the majority though, inventory levels at the dealer level are piling up & discounts are being fine-tuned by the day. In the hope of clearing up inventory, some car makers actually announced a price hike kicking in from 1st October. Cheap gimmick as we’re still waiting for that supposed hike
Car makers have no option but to pin their hope on the upcoming festive season. Diesel prices went up by a whopping 5 - 6 Rupees / liter in September. It’s hard to believe that the “cheap” fuel now costs as much as “expensive” petrol did in April 2010. Direct effect : A recovery in petrol-only cars like the WagonR, i10, Eeco etc. Interest rates are softening down too.
It might be a mediocre month for the others, but determined Maruti is nudging the 90K monthly level again, thanks to jump starting its Manesar factory. Procedures to convert “temporary” workers into “permanent” are running in full swing; hopefully, that’s the end of frequent labour trouble. The Alto & WagonR had a blockbuster month, impressive considering that they only have petrol engines to power them. The Ritz goes on to record its highest sales in history, no doubt gaining from the Swift’s long delivery period! The Swift & Dzire are also getting back in the game, we can just hear a sigh of relief from those on the waiting list. Good performances from the Ertiga, Omni & Eeco. Maruti has a lot riding on the back of the upcoming Alto 800. It will be interesting to see the market’s response to this new cheap hatchback.
First-time success in the 10+ lakh segment must taste sweet for Hyundai. The new Elantra @ 781 cars outsells previous segment leaders - the Corolla & the Cruze -
combined. The Verna formula has worked even in a segment above. The i20 & Verna, the other modern Hyundai’s, appear unaffected by lazy market conditions. Though its numbers are impressive, the Verna does record its lowest point in 6 months. The petrol-only i10 & Eon have a good month, though the ageing Santro clearly doesn’t have the legs anymore to compete with its younger siblings. The poorly positioned Sonata is dead on arrival, now languishing at a mere 20 units. Time to R-I-P, Hyundai Accent?
Mahindra grabs the no.3 spot from Tata once again. It seems that the market just can’t have enough of the XUV500 which records its best month ever, outselling the noticeably cheaper Scorpio. Hard to believe that the best selling SUV in India is a 15 lakh rupee model! Not one to give up the limelight, the Bolero moves ever closer to 10K units. On the flip side, the facelifted Xylo rolls down (pun intended
) with only the outdated Verito for company. The Mahindra Quanto, India’s 2nd sub-4 meter SUV, debuts on our charts this month. Official Review up in a week.
Sombre September for Tata Motors, new chief Karl Slym clearly has his work cut out. The Indica sisters & the Sumo are the only cars who’ve performed well in their respective segments. The Indigo, Manza & Nano are running way below their potential; the products are competent and I only have Tata’s marketing department to blame. Bad month for the Aria, but what’s new right?
A dark September for Toyota. Only the Fortuner & Innova have ended up with an “A” on their report card. With the Etios & Liva faring very poorly in their respective segments, Toyota is realising that selling VFM hatchbacks & sedans is a completely different ballgame to premium-priced UVs. The Corolla is outdone by the Hyundai Elantra for those customers desiring rear seat comfort & reliability.
Not much has changed at Ford. The Figo stays at the respectable 6K mark for the second month in a row, while the Fiesta Classic sells 10 times more than its global replacement, the new Fiesta.
Chevrolet’s shining star, the Beat Diesel, runs its 3 cylinders at max rpm. The Tavera is cashing in on the emergence of the UV segment. But the facelifted Cruze doesn’t make a mark as the old one did, and the list of other duds runs long in the GM family. Hard to believe that the Spark was a consistent 3,000 / month performer only a year back. We are testing the new Sail in a couple of days. Let’s see what she has to offer.
Renault leaves VW, Honda, sister Nissan & Skoda in the “dust” with its newest SUV! The French company is selling all the Dusters it can make, with a whopping 4,211 rolling out of the Chennai factory in September. No rub-off effect on the Pulse yet, though we’ll be closely following the Scala’s performance. It’s spacious, practical & fuel-efficient...with one BIG problem : The cheaper & identical Nissan Sunny.
The petrol-only Honda City remains Honda’s best seller, nearly touching the 3,000 mark. The Brio fails to make an impression, along with the Jazz. These two hatchbacks are extremely competent and well-priced. What’s wrong with Honda? The Civic, Accord & CRV are classic examples of a has-been.
VW’s Polo witnesses a spike in demand (@ 3,000 copies), as does the Vento. The feature update & price revision helped their cause. But there isn’t a doubt that both have sub-par performances, far below the projections that giant VW had set for them. Ze Germans must be wondering what a tricky market ours is. VW should start with the dealers. God alone knows how many potential customers are put off by dealer apathy.
Dampened spirits at Skoda. The Rapid is such a well-priced all-rounded sedan with a fast, frugal diesel engine. It’s not moving off showroom floors fast enough, despite having the potential to consistently do 3,000 a month, if not 4,000. Meanwhile, the Yeti has a bright moment, outselling even the Laura last month! The luxo-barge Superb maintains its position as the king of the D2-sedan segment.
The Fiat Linea hits a new low with a mere 59 units shipped. As always, the vintage Ambassador is the one paying HM’s bills. The new Pajero Sport appears to have had a problem with supplies / imports.