[volkman10]

The crashing Sedan Market - All UV's ( C/S/Micro/Multi...)are out to demolish the Sedan market.



Source:Auto Punditz

[sandx]

Originally Posted by volkman10

The crashing Sedan Market - All UV's ( C/S/Micro/Multi...)are out to demolish the Sedan market.

Source:Auto Punditz

Sedans don't evoke that much of an interest nowadays as I have observed in the industry trends and among discussions revolving around new car purchases. Everyone I know is enquiring about SUVs big, small alike. And importantly all of them are driving a sedan now and didn't have any particular fault to find as such. I guess the charm is lost and the interest will diminish further.

Even in my case, I had considered the Verna at some point of time but eventually settled on the EcoSport quite recently.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

The SUVs do appeal to my mind at times and I start thinking about which SUV to buy in future. But when I realize the need and utility of a 500 litre boot space in my SX4, my mind gets back to to sedan.

Though the demand for C2 sedans is seen reducing, I think the minimum market share of these sedans will be sustained.

[pannags]

I thoroughly enjoyed driving my Esteem for a full decade. My car had zero issues throughout the period of ownership.

When a change became imperative, I was eager to jump to the next level and booked the Rapid DSG, which had all bells and whistles I was looking for, apart from being a considerably easy and more powerful car to drive.

And then, one long drive of 400 KM on a brand-new EcoSport was all it took to compel me to look at compact SUVs. Higher seating and ground clearance, easy ingress and egress, better suspension and among other things, significantly lower fatigue on long drives - the benefits were too many to not to take cognisance of.

Fast forward to 2019, after 4 years of owning my S-Cross, I don't think I will ever look at buying a sedan. Thankfully, the near future looks bright for turbo charged, torquey, petrol powered crossovers/SUVs.

[Rajeevraj]

I like sedans. They somehow have a style and finesse that an SUV cannot have. Sad to see that the way things are going, they will soon be eliminated or become a niche segment with minimal updates or choices.

[sandhyab]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I like sedans. They somehow have a style and finesse that an SUV cannot have. Sad to see that the way things are going, they will soon be eliminated or become a niche segment with minimal updates or choices.

I too still like sedans, and would have gone for them if there was a sensible sedan out there (apart from Monte Carlo Rapid, IMO nothing can beat it in its class, BUT Skoda), but somehow all the bells and whistles version of Verna and City are so ridiculously priced that something like a Ecosports or a Creta start making sense.


Edit : I see you have a Vento TSI too, another amazing car on par with Rapid

[pavi]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I like sedans. They somehow have a style and finesse that an SUV cannot have. Sad to see that the way things are going, they will soon be eliminated or become a niche segment with minimal updates or choices.

We need to check the reasons why a person prefers an SUV styled car over a sedan. Ground clearance, high seating position, easy ingress etc. are taking precedence over lower centre of gravity, low seating position, better cornering ability etc. I think enthusiasts have now become more ‘mass market’. Gone are the days when even an accent was having independent rear suspension. I hope Lambo Urus is just an exception, rather than the new norm among super car territory.

I still love the Lancer, the way it looks, so perfect. Now a days people are connected to their cars more digitally and less ‘heart’ly. Once I become more old, I may also become more mass market

Note: Off-road capable 4x4 SUVs are not included in the above mentioned SUV styled cars.

[YashD]

I don't know about the rest but after driving numerous sedans till now, I would prefer a SUV to be my next set of wheels. The reasons for me are simple, ground clearance & commanding driving position. The poor roads in our cities takes a serious toll on the suspension setup of sedans also making you slow in the traffic compared to driving a SUV. Even though I feel sedans to be much more safer than UVs, just that higher ground clearance and near about go anywhere capability even without 4x4 (The usual UVs can do a mild off roading) makes them a compelling buy.

[ValarMorghulis]

For a really long time, I wanted to own a Hyundai Verna. Then the facelift was launched and what a looker the new Verna is! Add to it the fact that a huge boot space makes putting stuff in, and going to a restaurant, shop, etc. without any fear of goons smashing a window, without any worry was a major point for me to buy one!
Fast forward 2019 and come rainy season, a sedan doesn't look attractive with respect to the roads! My friend's i20 occasionally kisses a few bumps and it is painful when it does that.

I also checked out the rear seat and the total lack of head space is concerting. I'll now go for a CSUV (Venue most probably).

To summarize, a CSUV is preferred 'cos:
1. Better ground clearance
2. Better ingress/ egress
3. Easier to drive in the madness we call traffic
4. Better visibility
5. Better drive-ability on poor roads
6. Easier to find parking/ park



Had this been Europe/ US, I would have picked up a sedan in a heartbeat!

[Kosfactor]

I was very much a sedan guy when I started driving, mostly around town , a few kms here and there, down to the college etc, a handbrake turn was exciting then, you can try this on the newer compact SUVs but the lumbering giants of those days couldn't.

Then I got my license to drive a bit further, go on road trips with college mates , it was huge fun taking the racing line with tires squealing on bends at high speed while the independent suspension of '95 Esteem held onto the road like it's just another day at the office. Going up and down the roads leading to Munnar from Kochi was unforgettable.

The fun did not last much longer, the Munnar road for whatever reason was well laid , my trip through Thamarassery pass wasn't pleasant, a mahindra badge was necessary to keep meaningful pace on this bit and I realized how unsafe it is having to slow down to crawling speeds suddenly while trying to keep a good pace the vehicle was capable of in clean stretches of road.

Armed with all this knowledge, when I could finally buy a used car of my own, i bought another Esteem!!

[avisidhu]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I like sedans. They somehow have a style and finesse that an SUV cannot have. Sad to see that the way things are going, they will soon be eliminated or become a niche segment with minimal updates or choices.

Our Civic is limited to doing city runs, since the entire family insists on using the Crysta for outstation trips. I had brought the Civic with high hopes of driving on highways, the precise steering and high speed manners such a big step from the City I had been using earlier. But once a tall MUV came to the garage everything changed

Even if some of us continue to be smitten by sedans, other factors often trump in everyday scenarios.

[volkman10]

The Sedan market (C Segment) continues to drop.

How closer can you get between the top 3, when comparing its Aug. sales figures!

[TheHelix0202]

By far the most interesting thread I've come across this week.
I'm another one of those people who swear by sedans any day (if such people still exist). But it's not too hard to see why SUVs are becoming such a huge craze after getting a new EcoSport. The fact that I can simply walk into one of these big machines ( when I don't feel like crawling into a sedan ), crank the engine and be ready to run down mountains is just simply too hard to resist. Not to mention the plusher ride too.

It's sad to see the slow death of the D-segment and now, the C2 segment. I'd still prefer a manual VW TDi over anything else, really. Interesting to see how the market would be, 15-20 years in the future. But I guess it's all for the better, hopefully cars then will make us petrol heads change our minds!

[Equus]

The C2 sedan buyer will not settle for C1. Once the SUV craze settles in, people will come back to C2 for sure. Even C3 sales will improve! I can’t believe at times the low number of Corolla’s and Civic’s we buy each month!!

[octane_100]

Originally Posted by Equus

The C2 sedan buyer will not settle for C1. Once the SUV craze settles in, people will come back to C2 for sure. Even C3 sales will improve! I can’t believe at times the low number of Corolla’s and Civic’s we buy each month!!

Doubt it will happen in the near future. Crossovers have become more of a necessity in India than anything else given the poor quality of roads and also the uncertainty when you go for an outstation trip. Slim chance things will drastically improve in the medium term.