[TusharK]

The Maruti Alto is no longer India's highest selling car. In 2018, it was beaten by its stablemate - Maruti Dzire, after a gap of 13 years. Also, for the first time ever, more compact sedans were sold than entry-level hatchbacks.



Maruti reportedly sold 2,64,612 units of the Dzire in 2018, registering a growth of 17.6% over 2017. Whereas, 2,56,661 units of the Alto were sold during the same period.

It is worth noting that the top 6 highest selling cars of 2018 are from Maruti Suzuki. In third spot is the Swift with total sales of 2,23,630 units, followed by the Baleno (2,10,236 units) and Vitara Brezza (1,55,466 units). The WagonR dropped out of the top 5 for the first time as sales declined by 8.9% to 1,52,020 units. The Celerio is in tenth place with 1,00,957 units.

Hyundai has three models in the top 10 highest selling cars list for 2018. In seventh place is the i20 (1,41,104 units) followed by the Grand i10 (1,34,249 units) and the Creta in ninth (1,20,905 units).

Source: Autopunditz

Link to Team-BHP News

[tarik.arora]

This clearly shows that the buying power has more than doubled. The case might be that Dzire sales are coming from Tier-I & II cities, while Alto would be popular in Tier-II & III cities. However, i know a lot of households where Alto serves as a beater second car in the family. The dimensions are just perfect for market errands with ever increasing traffic and shrinking parking spaces.

One factor that works in favour of Dzire is the availability of AMT variants, both in petrol and diesel and with almost every variant. You have a Dzire for everyone in the 6 lacs to 11 lacs rupee bracket. The latest model has improved on so many aspects and you really cannot doubt the product. It doesn't matter to an average buyer whether the platform has scored 2 stars or if the build feels flimsy. These are just "issues" that the enthusiasts face, which anyways are in super minority.

Even maruti has realised the potential of this product as the new Dzire was launched first while the swift came in later. This is completely opposite to the trend seen in the past, where the notchback came after the hatchback. Kudos to Maruti for not just keeping this cleverly marketed segment alive but also for keeping the product fresh and appealing (it gets better with each iteration).

[volkman10]

Full Report of 2018 car sales :

Top 25 cars :



Break-down of car sales of respective manufacturers:











The Bright stars in their respective segments:







Link

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by volkman10

The Bright stars in their respective segments:

Attachment 1835428

Attachment 1835429

Attachment 1835430

Link

Woah!!! Look at maruti's dominance in sub 10L segment. More than 50% of the Compact (Sedan and UV) segment is eaten up by maruti alone
Do we have the top 5 numbers for hatch segment? Maruti would be dominant there as well, but I guess Hyundai too would have a decent share with the i20, i10 & now santro numbers.

Only decent competition is visible in the sedan segment where No.1,2 & 3 numbers look respectable rather than absolute carnage like other segments

[RaghuVis]

Well, This was bound to happen. Finally we have a proper Compact sedan from MSIL in Dzire. The earlier versions were just boot strapped into normal swift with minimal changes. The designers this time around did real good and have to say it's one of the best looking MSIL car on road today inside out barring the S-cross. The purchasing power of common man is only going up and I don't see any reason why they are not going to repeat the same in 2019. Hoping against hope that they concentrate as much on safety aspects this year as they don't have many new launches this year.

Originally Posted by tarik.arora

These are just "issues" that the enthusiasts face, which anyways are in super minority.

Buddy, everyone agrees that most of the common people don't care about safety ratings. One needs to understand that it is more due to lack of knowledge, chalta hai attitude and wrong assumption that only I as a driver can cause accident, so if I drive well, I can manage with less safer vehicles.

But to pass it on as a issue in double quotes that enthusiasts face on an enthusiasts forum is mockery, sad and a little bit sorry. Safety for us and our loved ones is not a enthusiast thing. Agreed that this forum is a democratic one and one's opinion should be respected but please don't use that to paint wrong picture, that too when it comes to safety. Peace out!

[tarik.arora]

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

But to pass it on as a issue in double quotes that enthusiasts face on an enthusiasts forum is mockery, sad and a little bit sorry. Safety for us and our loved ones is not a enthusiast thing. Agreed that this forum is a democratic one and one's opinion should be respected but please don't use that to paint wrong picture, that too when it comes to safety. Peace out!

May be i was not clear on what i said. Let me explain: I belong to that minority population that puts safety ahead of anything else. May be i used the word enthusiasts a bit loosely but i meant, people with knowledge. When i was in the market for a new car and i was only looking for variants that have ABS/dual airbags/ISOFIX mounts at the minimum, no one else, but my own family (non enthusiasts = less knowledgeable) saw that as an "issue" with me. The chalta hai attitude was clearly visible to save on initial acquisition cost. Anyways, i took my decision and bought a car that fulfilled my criterion but i have seen many people face such situations. Either for themselves or when their family is looking for a car. No offence to anyone and i was not trying to paint any picture. I was being sarcastic and it backfired

[jpcoolguy]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Do we have the top 5 numbers for hatch segment? Maruti would be dominant there as well, but I guess Hyundai too would have a decent share with the i20, i10 & now santro numbers.

I have given below the top 5 hatchbacks in all the 3 segments of Hatchbacks - A, B1 & B2. The A and B1 segment consists of only 5 cars each, however the B2 segment is crowded with 15 cars.



In B2 segment, the next 5 positions are closely fought one -

Polo - 18985
Freestyle - 18643
KUV 100 - 18424
Jazz - 18370
Liva - 15129

The remaining 5 are selling in sub-5000 levels with Punto selling just 629 units.

Micra - 4310
Figo - 4130
Bolt - 2420
Brio - 2277
Punto - 629

[narayans80]

Doesn't DZire numbers also include Dzire Tour as well? If yes, how is that a fair comparison? Dzire Tour possibly outnumbers every other model driven as a taxi put together.

[Miel]

Looking at the Y on Y growth figures alone, there are some interesting observations to be made:

• Growth of 20% or more: Fiat, Tata.
  
• Growth of 10% to 19%: Ford.
  
• Growth of less than 10%: Hyundai, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Toyota.
  
• Growth in Negative: Honda, Nissan, Renault, Skoda, and Volkswagen.

Fiat's growth was thanks to the runaway hit at launch, the Jeep Compass. However, things are starting to slow down there.

Tata's growth was thanks to the Tiago, and now the Nexon. Interesting to note that the Sumo's numbers saw a 12% growth.

For Ford it's the mini-SUV EcoSport, and the crossover Freestyle that are keeping it positive.

Mahindra has a narrow 1% growth despite several updates. The numbers were narrowly pushed ahead by the Bolero and Marazzo.

Honda hit gold with the new Amaze, but its losses on the others models are too high and its numbers ended negative.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by tarik.arora

This clearly shows that the buying power has more than doubled.

Bingo! That's exactly the thought that ran through my mind when I read the news. First-time car buyers are straight away jumping to the 7 lakh car, instead of settling just for the 3 - 4 lakh one. Double-income families & 5 - 7 year loans are making these cars attainable to many more folk. I remember a CMO telling me that 20% of the customers for his C2 segment sedan (City? Ciaz? Don't remember) are first-time car owners. That is really something.

Congratulations to the Dzire. The current-gen car is really something. I love it.

[JS Kwt]

Bye bye small cars:
After decades, a sedan was India’s bestselling car in 2018

• In 2018, Alto, which was the number 1 car for 14 straight years, lost its crown to Dzire, Maruti's compact sedan
• Not only was it beaten by the bigger car, it sold around a thousand fewer units over the year
• Industry officials said buyers now value safety and comfort as much as design

In rival Hyundai's stable, too, sales of Grand i10 fell by about 13%, while its bigger siblings, i20 and Creta, saw robust sales growth of about 10% and 15%, respectively.

Sales of Dzire grew by 18%, Alto fell 0.5%
While Dzire’s sales grew by 18% in a year when overall passenger vehicle sales grew by 5%, demand for Alto — the so-called “people’s car” — fell by 0.5%, numbers accessed by TOI show.

Dzire’s more expensive stablemate Brezza took fifth position, ahead of WagonR. It had finished seventh in 2017. Hyundai Creta, which retails upwards of Rs 9.5 lakh, was the ninth-largest selling model.

With disposable incomes and aspirations rising, is this a sign of the times?

Social scientist and advertising professional Santosh Desai said the trend is here to stay. "This shift has been in the making for a while... Incomes are rising, and you have gone through the cycles of the first car," Desai said, adding, "The Indian customer has begun to value comfort and some higher-order needs, and is willing to pay for them."

"The Indian car buyer is upgrading, and he wants the best for what he can afford," said industry analyst Jnaneswar Sen, who has earlier worked with Honda Cars India and Maruti.

Originally Posted by GTO

First-time car buyers are straight away jumping to the 7 lakh car, instead of settling just for the 3 - 4 lakh one.

The trend also shows first-time buyers are not increasing as quickly as those who are upgrading, or buying another car, he added. "So, the upper segment is growing, but the entry car market is shrinking."

Originally Posted by GTO

5 - 7 year loans are making these cars attainable to many more folk.

Easy access to finance may also explain the robust demand for bigger vehicles, experts said.

Industry officials said buyers now value safety and comfort as much as design. "Features like airbags and ABS are turning out to be very important as buyers get more safety-conscious," a top official with a leading carmaker said.

Desai said people desire a car with a boot not only as a status symbol but also as a practical need. “We carry enormous amounts of luggage when travel, thus option of adding a boot is legitimate. It is a significant factor.”

Source

[volkman10]

Top Selling Cars of 2018 - Manufacturer's market share and body type preference,

- Maruti Suzuki all the way.

- Entry level cars take a back-seat

- Mahindra, Honda, Renault and Datsun are losing share among best sellers in India



Source: