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Ah, what a perfect time, to reminisce about the last 10 years, that began with a sense of optimism needed to arise out of Worldwide Economic crises; and ended with a worldwide pandemic. If only Billy Joel was around to remake his hit single.

Just like now, let's just simply ignore the harsh dreadful reality and simply focus on what makes up happy: The Indian Motoring Scene.

What about it, then? What aspect of our market changed in the 2010s? What car do you think changed the market's attitude and forced other companies to join the bandwagon with varying degrees of success?

Was it the increased demand for SUVs, pretend-SUVs and other crossovers that closely mirrored global trends and the decreasing relevance of sedans, particularly the D-Segment that came crashing down in no time?

The car in question can also represent a breakthrough for a company that struggled in the past decade financially or in terms of quality, but tasted success by improving overall engineering finesse and hence carving new standards for customer tastes. The increasing awareness of safety standards among public after the new breed of Tata Cars come to mind.



Here's my pick: Mahindra XUV 500. Lightning struck twice for the Mumbai-based manufacturer of Jeeps and tractors... it's first monocoque SUV was truly a world class product. Well-priced, well-equipped, striking to look at; this was a family car done with style. No longer should a family settle for a minivan box type, or have to compromise with a smaller sedan. Judging from it's sales, it has successfully managed to draw prospective Innova customers away from Toyota, and that's no small feat for a company with way smaller resources and global recognition. Sure, it being Mahindra's first serious attempt at a civilised refined car meant that niggles and issues were inevitable; but that didn't matter for what it achieved. It showed the world what Mahindra could achieve. In 2011, it was no longer the maker of crude, unrefined agricultural products from the 20th century; but a proper world class player. Mahindra still has a long way to go in terms of quality, but it's going the right way, the XUV 500 brought people who had been totally averse to the brand before.

Here's my idea for possible candidates:

• Ford EcoSport: Kick-started the sub-4m crossover race. The car that single-handedly reversed Ford's fortunes in India. Seven years on, still looks good, sells decently and is still the segment benchmark in terms of driving dynamics.

• Hyundai Elite i20: The car IMO defined Hyundai as we know and love today; feature-packed, well-built cars with the level of refinement light years ahead of anything that was expected from the manufacturer a decade before.

• Honda City 4th Gen: No longer did it enjoy the peerless status quo of its predecessors. The rivals caught up finally with competent sedans like the Ciaz and Verna taking the lead every now and then. But the City still managed to stay relevant, amidst the crossover onslaught. That alone makes it a significant anomaly in the otherwise smooth run of the SUV craze. Will be interesting to see how the new City with the same large NA engine will hold up in the era of small turbo petrols.

• Maruti Suzuki Celerio AMT: Many may think the Swift diesel may be a better fit for igniting the diesel revolution among the masses, I think the increasing adoption of automatics in mainstream mass market cars is just as relevant. These two things alone proved that India's largest car maker is willing to sail the uncharted waters.
  A cheaper and economic alternative to the torque converter, it opened the floodgates, and competitors like Tata, Hyundai, Renault, Mahindra all poured in. A saving grace for the urban dwellers indeed. The transmission may have benefited other Maruti cars more than Celerio itself, but since it was the launching pad, without whose sucess the AMT may have been consigned to the pages of history, I'd say the car is just as instrumental in this revolution.

• Tata Nexon: The Tiago was a genuine surprise for us used to the lethargic and crude products from the company's past, but the Nexon was the company's "XUV 500 moment". It really showed what the company was truly capable of. Inspired by the GNCAP results, the company has then since committed to safety, with other products like Altroz and Tiago also successfully passing the crash tests. Wonderful news for the mass market that has traditionally shunned safety in favour of affordability.

• Volkswagen Polo: Literally the car of the decade. It has been on sale for just over 10 years now. Thankfully it hasn't gone the Punto way, and has managed to stay relevant on the sales charts, thanks to consistent updates with new engines and transmissions to choose from. Still one of the best looking cars in the segment, and an absolute hoot to drive.

I'll admit it's not a very educational or informative thread as the other ones. Just wanted to know what cars do you think were instrumental in changing your attitude of the car market for the last couple of years? Or even memorable, like the short lived excitement stirred by the batch of fast turbo-petrol enthusiast cars like the Octy vRS , the Abarth or the JTP siblings? Or was it simply another Maruti best-seller? Or the newcomer Kia's successful debut, or segment-creating Renaults? Lots of things to choose from.

The Renault kwid was one car that completely changed the budget hatchback segment. An Alto rival that made the Maruti best seller feel 2 decades older. At launch, it gave a reasonably spacious cabin, large boot and some cool tech at almost the same price as an alto. It became an instant hit, but unfortunately did not age very well in terms of reliability and durability.

Another car that comes to mind is the Hyundai Eon. It brought design flair and decent fit and finish to the A-segment, and became a budget car that is actually desirable. It sold decently as well, and still remains pretty popular in the pre-owned car market.

But the one car that absolutely changed the car market in my opinion is the Tata Tiago. This is a very important car for Tata, because it was the car that transformed Tata from a brand that nobody wanted to India’s third largest brand by sales. But what this car did for the market is even greater- it has made safety affordable for the common man, and deserves a standing ovation for this. Today, if you want to buy a safe new car on a budget, this is the only option. Offering a 4 star NCAP rating at a competitive price is really praise worthy.

Keeping in mind the income level of our country , I’d say car of the decade is the VW polo. It’s a safe, well designed, well engineered, well built, great to drive (if not the greatest) entry point for the average Indian to an international standard of motoring. A GT Polo looks right at home in a middle class house just as well as a multi millionaires.

I would say the car of the decade is the Renault Duster. .

The simple reason for this is that it spawned the whole new segment of compact and then sub-compact SUVs, of which Creta, Seltos, Brezza, Ecosport and a lot more were the eventual winners. The Duster itself was a great success for quite a while because of its rugged yet comfortable appeal where a family could do some affordable soft-roading and touring. Lets remember that this segment has essentially relegated the mid size sedan market to the bottom.
Had Renault kept updating the interiors to international standards, I am sure the Duster would have maintained a strong No 2/3 position, because mechanically it is perhaps one of the best packages in the 10 lac-20 lac segment, ideal for Indian road conditions, and a benchmark of ride quality.

We enthusiasts know about the segment differentiation very well(C1,D2etc) but for a layman in those days there used to just the small cars and big cars. This was the car that filled the void for anyone looking to get a compact vehicle with high ground clearance. I'd also attribute the high ground clearance/mild offroading capabilities of the Duster and EcoSport that these cars came off to be called SUVs rather than softroaders. EcoSport is still a very desirable C-SUV, although the Duster lost it's charm over time.

My nominations would be the following:

• Tata Tiago- This is the car that turned the tables for Tata Motors. It changed the way people perceive Tata cars. No doubt, it became a sales success and paved the way for Nexon, Harrier and Altroz.
• Renault Duster- The first car like SUV with a monocoque chassis that set the benchmark in the segment. It definitely helped Renault establish itself in the Indian market.
• Ford Ecosport- Another car that created a new segment and set the benchmark in terms of handling and performance. It also helped Ford to stay relevant in the market.

Today I am a proud owner of a BS VI Tata Tiago and hope to own many more cars in the future :D.

Edit: A poll on the nominations submitted by all will be quite useful.

If there is one car that has stood strong unfazed from new competition, monocoque MPVs for a decade (15 years now) it has to be the Innova! No advanced gadgetry, bulletproof mechanicals, space and comfort for all passengers and a strong set of reliable engines. No wonder it’s the Highway King, all taxi operators run them without breaking a sweat, all passengers ask for one every time they travel with their families in tow. I know it’s gotten damn expensive now but then when you have a solid product no price can deter people from getting one. From cab operators to rich businessmen all own an Innova (even if it’s a beater). My father’s friend was telling me that he has been to Ladakh innumerable times in his cars but an Innova is just unbeatable on those roads, the way it can carry heavy loads without any loss of comfort is what the car stands for!

Earlier we had/have the Evalia, Lodgy, Stile, Xylo, Enjoy, XUV500, Aria/Hexa fighting with the Innova/Crysta for a place in the segment but no one was able to beat it in so many tries. I know the Hexa/XUV500 are one of the better products with better features and Innova-beating ride quality but what held the Innova was superb service quality and reliability. Even till this date I haven’t seen an Innova ever standing on the side of the road with it’s bonnet up! It was really the Qualis that started this and the Innova is just carrying that name till now.





My 2nd Choice would definitely be the Ford EcoSport because till date it is the car that has kept Ford from not exiting India with its consistent sales figures even after being 7 years old!



Here is mine at the 6 year mark still going strong and I seriously can’t find a worthy replacement for it in the market today!

The car of the decade as per me is the Hyundai Creta.

It changed the segment completely after its entry and in the second generation as well is proving to be a success even after so many people have divided opinions regarding the looks but the brand itself has become so strong that there is no stopping for the high sales numbers.

From making available so many segment above features to lower segments to improved driving dynamics there can't be a better contender for the title of "Car of the Decade" clap:

Even though the infamous brake issue does pull it back a bit but at the end no car is perfect. :)

IMO gamechanger has to be DUSTER. It changed the definition of ‘you have arrived’ cars in india. Which earlier was sedans like Honda City. ‘Unchi’(Tall) became the new ‘Badi’(large). It kinda spawned an era of crossovers right from micro (S-presso/kwid) to subcompact (Nexon/XUV3OO) to compact (Creta/Seltos) crossovers and rest is history. Degrading road infrastructure further helped the cause and today you have a high-GC vehicle at every price point right from 3/4L to 20L+:)

However the best car would vary from person to person based on budget and safety preference. Can’t pin point to any one per say.

There are many noteworthy contenders, but if I had to really stick my neck out and choose one, it would have to be the Ford Ecosport. The compact SUV segment was fairly niche and unheard of till then. The Ecosport really changed the direction of the segment, and indeed the market over the next several years in ensuring that the urban Indian populace realised the value and desirability of the compact SUV - especially with urban roads and general infrastructure getting worse and worse with every passing year.

Even today, I find it to be the most proportionately designed and handsome looking SUV, with the right mix of gentle curves and robust straight lines. This is one car whose design has aged brilliantly. Ford designers will have a tough job on hand when they update the next generation of the car. Add to it, the fantastic mechanically simple, yet very competent engines that the car comes with. No wonder it has become a fan favourite and enjoys an astounding fan following even today, and even though the market is inundated with various recent competitors in this segment. it still continues to sell in relatively strong numbers which speaks well of its desirability even after more than 7 years in the market.

If there's any car that's representative of Indian frugal engineering, it is the Nano. Almost all business schools have a good case study about the development if the Nano and why it did not do well because people in India will rather ride 3 on a bike than be seen in a cheap car with AC because they care more about what neighbors think rather than their own safety. It is also the most famous non-software engineering export from India in terms of recognition. Almost every engineer I have spoken to has praised its innovative engineering.

Other than that, the Nexon and Tiago are worthy competitors. For less than 10k USD you get a 4 or 5 star NCAP rated car, top model in case of the Tiago. If Tata had a better marketing team and could actually convey to people that their service centers were quite good and their quality was leagues ahead of Maruti, these two cars would have been the top selling in India. I don't know of any other country where you get such cars at this price.

Mahindra XUV 500 is also a very good step up for the Indian car market.

Cars from Hyundai, Honda maybe good, but what is exceptional about them? Neither are they safe, nor innovative, nor cheap to maintain. Maruti- less said the better.

I agree. A poll will help here.

My vote is also for the Tata Tiago. I’m happy to see an Indian engineering company produce a good car with a high safety rating. Tata has come a long way from the Nano and Indica. I hope they improve their pre- and after- sales experiences and give a strong competition to Maruti and Hyundai. More competition benefits the end customers like us.

VW Polo w/o a doubt. Superb built. Surreal looks. Great to drive. On this side of 10L, not sure why anyone would buy anything else (unless boot space is the constraint).

With no doubt, the game-changer to me was the Renault Duster. Not only started the CSUV era, but set benchmarks on ride quality and handling which still not beaten by anyone in the segment.

Many reasons:

1. Questionable reliability of their new age engines and gearboxes.
2. Pathetic interior space for the money paid
3. More than average service costs
4. Service center/spare part availability compared to MSIL/Hyundai/TATA/Honda.