[EightSix]

Does exclusivity factor into your decision? Are you the person who doesn’t want to own the same car that ten others from his apartment complex own? Do you want your car to stand out in traffic? I realised that there are many such individuals, even here on the forum who desire something unique. Like, BHPian kamilharis who would swear by his Changan Eado.

If you are the type of guy who is looking for a unique offering, you are lucky. This list is just for you. What’s more — except the Citroën C5 Aircross, all the cars on this list are on sale new. Be sure to leave your thoughts down below, and then you can head straight to the dealership to pick one of these.

1. Hyundai Elantra

D-Segment sedans are not too popular in India, and the Hyundai Elantra is the ONLY D-segment sedan you can get right now. What differentiates it from other cars on our streets is its quirky design. It follows the design language seen on most new Hyundais but it doesn’t overdo the quirky bits. Considering it’s slow sales, you might be the only person in your whole pin code who owns this car — if you do buy it.

2. Kia Carnival

The Kia Carnival is long and wide. This car doesn’t need to be in a flashy or bright color to stand out. The sliding doors are another unique feature of the Carnival. If you do buy this car, everyone in your apartment complex will either be talking about the guy with the sliding door van OR the guy whose van doesn’t fit into his parking spot.

Link to Team-BHP Review (Kia Carnival : Official Review)

3. Toyota Camry

Ah, the Toyota Camry! I see very few of these cars around Mumbai and each one of them turns my head. The Camry's design, its sheer size, and that blue Toyota logo on the front = it screams exclusivity with a capital E.

Link to Team-BHP Review

4. Mahindra Alturas G4

The Mahindra Alturas G4 is priced quite similar to its rivals, but it is only for those who long for something distinctive. The Alturas is for the type of guy who doesn’t want the Fortuner because it is too popular. It’s design isn’t like a butch full-size SUV, rather it is unconventional. Love it or hate it, but you can’t ignore this one.

Link to Team-BHP Review (The Mahindra Alturas G4. EDIT: Short reviews on page 30)

5. Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is now made in India! That has reduced its price to ₹5.3 Million. At this price point, you can buy a luxury crossover from more established brands, or you can buy this mammoth of an SUV! It has got everything it needs to stand out. It is sure to turn heads wherever it goes and you will have a hard time explaining that it is not a Thar to people.

6. Volkswagen T-Roc

BHPian Seahawk who owns a T-Roc calls it “A niche crossover for a niche audience” and loves its uniqueness. Its styling is classy and it comes in this special Gold shade and a cool Ravenna Blue color like Seahawk’s.

Seahawk’s review (Volkswagen T-Roc : Ownership Review)

7. Nissan Kicks

The Nissan Kicks is big, tall, long, wide, and quirky. In the sea of Cretas and Seltos(es) and numerous other compact SUVs, it stands out — which is exactly why it belongs in this thread.

Link to Godzilla’s review (Nissan Kicks XV Diesel - Ownership Report)

8. Mahindra Thar

The Mahindra Thar. Butch, boxy, Jeep-ish looks + that spare tyre at the boot. No other car at that price can give you such exclusivity. And it is Team-BHP’s Car of The Year - need I say more?

Link to Official Review (Mahindra Thar : Official Review)

9. Mini Cooper S

The picture is worth a thousand words. Starting at just ₹3.5M, the Mini Cooper S proves that you don’t need to be big and bulky to be unique. Splurge a bit more and you can get a convertible version - another thing that grabs attention and stands out.

Link to Quickdraw’s review (The legend of Shani the Mini - My Mini Cooper S JCW)

10. Force Gurkha

With the Thar selling like hotcakes, it will soon be commonplace. But the Force Gurkha won’t be as common. A facelift is around the corner and that would be a better package with more features. Its looks are inspired by the Mercedes G-Wagen and it is even boxier than the Thar.

Link to Trojan’s review

11. Land Rover Defender

The Defender is a looker! It is part of the new wave of boxy SUVs. If it had a slogan, it would be - “Just because it is boxy, doesn’t mean it ain’t sexy.”

12. Volvo S60

The Volvo S60 looks quite handsome, classy, and sporty. This sedan is not as common as its German rivals and thus, stands out. Additionally, you get the assurance of safety that Volvo is known for.

Link to Team-BHP Review (Volvo S60 : Official Review)

13. Toyota Vellfire

Bling! How can anyone miss a grille like that of the Vellfire! Vans themselves are uncommon on our shores and a distinctive design like that can’t be missed by my eyes.

Link to Team-BHP Review (A Close Look: Toyota Vellfire)

14. Lexus NX

The NX is like a gust of fresh air into the luxury crossover segment. If you don’t care about the fun-to-drive factor and want a quirky and eccentric car, the Lexus NX is for you. Moreover, it comes with the added benefits of Toyota’s reliability.

Link to Team-BHP Review (Driven: Lexus NX 300h)

15. VW Tiguan AllSpace

BHPians love the Tiguan Allspace, for its build, safety, design, space, and also what's under the hood. Being a CBU, it doesn't do volumes as such, so it's gonna be a fairly unique and rare car on our roads. Good luck explaining to your pals why you didn't get a Fortuner.

Link to Kalyan’s review (My Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace - Ownership Review & Upkeep)

16. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Select Plus

How could anyone miss this car! It comes with huge badges, bright colors, and an amazing road presence.

17. Mitsubishi Outlander

In this segment, you have the rare Tucson, but there is an even rarer Outlander. I doubt that even the folks at Mitsubishi themselves know that they are selling this. That's how rare this car is. I have seen just one of these in my whole life!

18. Citroen C5 Aircross (To-be-launched)

This car is yet to be launched but a quirky design like that is hard-to-miss.

Link to Team-BHP Review (Citroen C5 Aircross Review)

19. Toyota Fortuner Legender

The Legender edition of the Fortuner is a good 7 lakh OTR! You would only buy this car for its looks and to stand out.

Link to Team-BHP Review (2021 Toyota Fortuner Legender & Facelift Review)

20. Porsche Macan

The Porsche Macan might be the last car someone with a 70-80 lakh budget may consider. You might even forget that it's a part of our market. The baby Cayenne looks are a major plus point. In its bright colors, this car will give you the exclusivity you demand.

That’s all for today, people. Feel free to add on to this list and discuss if exclusivity matters to you.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[AMG Power]

The only Indian car in the list is the Mahindra Thar. The Velfire, for instance is a CBU. Unless you’re referring to cars available in India, in which case the exclusivity list would include the Germans, Rolls, Bentley, Lambo, Ferrari, Porsche’s etc.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

The only Indian car in the list is the Mahindra Thar. The Velfire, for instance is a CBU. Unless you’re referring to cars available in India, in which case the exclusivity list would include the Germans, Rolls, Bentley, Lambo, Ferrari, Porsche’s etc.

Totally agree with this point. Some of the cars mentioned are just so expensive that only a few can afford it in the first place (e.g. Porsche Macan) and therefore they will always remain exclusive. That way, every car costing above Rs. 1Cr is always exclusive and we can list every one of them.

Further, I am not sure Thar is so exclusive anymore. Given the number of bookings pending with Mahindra, once all those cars are delivered, we will see a Thar at every corner of the street.

Similarly, too premature to call Citroen C5 Aircross as elusive. We have no idea about how it will sell. Why speculate? It is quirky for sure. But this thread title says exclusive. Whether that will be exclusive or not, we have no clue yet and better to wait and watch.

I think if we go by the title "Indian cars that desire exclusivity" , I do not think any car "desires" this. They all desire to be sold in large numbers and make money for their manufacturers. Unfortunately some cars do not get sold (for whatever reasons), and unintentionally become exclusive in India. Some people might want to buy such a car for exclusivity, and that is fine and understandable. But such cars, which were affordable to the masses in the first place, but still could not sell and somehow became exclusive, are the ones which should come in this list.

For me, that list would be:

1. Renault Captur
2. Nissan Kicks (agree on this from your list)
3. Tata Hexa (to some extent? - I do not see too many of them on the roads nowadays)
4. Ford Freestyle
5. Force Gurkha (Again agree to this from your list)

[nagr22]

Since the purpose is exclusivity and the ability to stand out from the crowd, you can add Toyota Yaris to the list. It's a very rare car due to its low sales and many people especially from rural background dont even know such a car exists. Whenever any friend or relative tells me they are unaware about this car, I tell them that it's corolla's replacement from Toyota

[pavi]

It depends on the location you live in. I live in a village (almost like a small town if you consider the number of shops and other amenities). My Honda City does not have any exclusivity here as a number families have one. But my Skoda Rapid exudes exclusivity as only me and my brother own one. If I go to Cochin (my workplace), I can see hell lot of Skoda Rapid's.

[ABHI_1512]

One car that’s missing from this list is the Global Ford Fiesta which has now been discontinued. The car flopped due to its pricing and the penchant for leg space in a sedan. But ask any enthusiast and the very mention of the car will bring a smile to one’s face.

It is this notion of exclusivity that almost made me purchase the Fiesta. I even tried to get my hands on a used one but the car sold in very few numbers and those who bought the car, were not very keen on selling it for obvious reasons. The driving dynamics were very sorted and it brought a smile every time you floored it. Plus the design was simply too fantastic to ignore. Pity, the car is not on sale anymore !!



P.S- Picture from Autocar.

[lonetraveller89]

Hmm, there's a reason why most people don't go for sales duds or unpopular/ uncommon products and for people that do - it's exclusive alright but at a price. Besides, word on the street is that ubiquity *wink* is the new exclusivity. The more expensive, rare or vintage the product is, naturally, the more exclusive it's going to be. But that said, I understand what you're trying to say here and I agree with most of the cars you've listed out. I still think it's too early to comment on the Citroen C5 although it does look like they're headed there. Also, I did read somewhere on the forum that at some dealership, the Legender variant of the Fortuner had more pre-bookings than the regular one. Keeping rich owners and their expensive cars aside, it also takes a lot of BALLS (read courage and determination) for a well-informed, common 'aadmi' to go purely on his instinct, against the popular flow and the opinions of his friends and family to buy and maintain cars like the Mitsubishi Outlander or the Nissan Kicks. It takes nothing (besides your life savings and mental health) to blend in with the crowd but everything to stand alone. And for that, I salute them.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by nagr22

Since the purpose is exclusivity and the ability to stand out from the crowd, you can add Toyota Yaris to the list.

I agree to your point about Yaris purely based on sales numbers. However, just because a car is sold in very few numbers, it does not mean it stands out. The real exclusivity, as in standing out from the crowd, requires some special character in addition to low sales volumes. Unfortunately Yaris lacks this character. It looks so bland and boring, and so similar to tons of those Etios cabs on the road, that it does not look exclusive even if we see one rarely.

I think a good example of exclusive cars is Nissan Kicks. It is rare on the streets, and also, when we seen one, it does look a bit unique and stands out enough that someone will pause and take a second look. Same is the case with Renault Captur. When I see one, I still notice it and take a second look.

[Rajeevraj]

I am firmly in this category. Would prefer to buy cars that are atleast less common ( the term exclusive is probably not the right word in my case as I am not referring to exclusivity on the basis of price ). I don't think I will voluntarily buy a car that which is/has been in the top 20 sales list for a long time as a primary ride. Would prefer a vehicle and/or a brand that stands out from the crowd.

[navaneeth]

I owned an Elantra in exact same color. During my one year with Elantra, I haven't seen even one other Elantra in the same color.

I would pick only Elantra or Camry from this list because:
a) Both are manufactured by companies that have other models that make them enough money to stay in business.
b) Part availability of CBU cars such as Defender or T-roc might be an issue
c) Cars from Porsche, Lexus, Land Rover have dealerships only in major cities (I would've ignored this completely and bought a Macan if I could save enough money )
d) Concerns about part availability of rebadged cars like Alturas

I chose Elantra because of its exclusivity in marina blue shade and I Hyundai has showrooms in every small town and they aren't gonna go out of business anytime soon.

Also, I agree that Thar stands out in traffic but these days Thar is a very common sight on-road and the exclusivity factor is diminishing (at least in Kerala ).

One car I would like to add to the list is Hyundai Tucson. It's very rare to spot a Tucson outside showroom (again, at least in Bangalore & Kerala ).

[Eshan Joshi]

Maybe this :



.

[TrackDay]

I don't feel cars like the Thar, Fortuner, Carnival, Mini Cooper & Vellfire are really exclusive in their segment. Even if one were to go into the luxury or Sports spectrum, cars like an X5 or GLS, to a 911 or Huracan are easily getting common in their target groups.

Like someone said, it has to be a sales dud to be exclusive to some extent. Take the VW beetle for instance. It can catch eyeballs even today, but I am sure that car didn't do VW much favor. It could be also something like an unpopular variant of a best seller. Ever driven a petrol Innova or Indica (Xeta) into a fuel station and asked them to fill petrol ? Even other motorists might come up and say that your refueling the wrong type.

At the moment Electric vehicles (green number plates) are creating something sort of an exclusive factor too. People unfamiliar with the plate color see it as something important. In the future though with mass penetration this will become unexclusive.

Image source for both: Team-Bhp via google images.

[aargee]

There could be lakhs of SCross sold...


But only 4000 exclusive folks own this piece of fine madness in this country, unless, Maruti decides to relaunch the Wolf in sheep's clothing

Thanks benzinblut

[pacman2881]

Excluding expensive cars, Isuzu D Max V Cross is a good example of exclusivity-



Not many on the road