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-   -   Do large hatchbacks have potential in India? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/258989-do-large-hatchbacks-have-potential-india-2.html)

A car purchase has not reached the level of must have like a mixer grinder or refrigerator, given the aspirational value - a full car is what is expected, SUV styling is considered a full car.

However considering our traffic conditions and what most people had as their previous car , our market demands big crossovers that behave like hatchbacks in terms of their dynamics , ease of use etc.

So large hatchbacks themselves won't work in our market but SUVs that behave like hatchbacks are most welcome.

A decade ago before the SUV craze was as apparent as it is now, I would have said yes but today, when sedans are failing left right and center, I doubt it. That said, I do think that there is a gap in the market for large tall hatchbacks I mean there is nothing for a WagonR owner to upgrade to. And trust me, that will always be a requirement as long as healthcare improves and we have old people to take care of, cars with easy ingress/egress, chair like seats that are not too far away from hip level, low floors that can be stepped into easily, and tall roofs that don't require much ducking out of the way, will always be required. Something like the B-Class but made by Volkswagen or Honda instead of Mercedes if you know what I mean? :D

Hundred times YES!!!

But the Indian buyer turns up their nose at these practical vehicles. The WagonR had its work cut out to be the top seller it is today. People either expect SUV styling or the capability to seat seven. The only logical upgrade for a WagonR user is the Ertiga or Carens, but both are three row MUVs. Hope that Citroen is successful enough for them to look at bringing one of their sheer useable models to India.

With lower Excise Duty for sub 4 Mts. Cars in India, where would that excess boot come from ? Engine, Driver Seats and Passenger seats leave little room for boot which gave rise to demand of Hatchback. An essential accessory to be placed in it is the CNG Cylinder.
For this reason Hatchbacks have an edge on Sedans that give them more storage space. Unless the 2006 legislation that allowed lower Excise duty on under 4.0 mts. Cars is removed, there would be neither large Cars nor large Hatchbacks.

Am not sure where a large hatch ends and where a crossover starts. If ground clearance is the only difference then there's already a large, large hatch market with high GC.

Going back, some larger hatches (as per Indian standards) didn't do really well simply based on price point - Hyundai Getz initially, practical Ford Fusion and the wonderful wonderful Honda Jazz. The SCross for me was extremely competent but couldn't do what Creta did - for me both are the same segment cars but the former started its marketing as a crossover and the latter as a SUV.

I think there's an existing market as long as it is styled and marketed as a SUV !

There does not seem to be a clear guarantee for success.

There have been plenty of attempts, the absolutely superb Rover Montego Estate, Chevrolet Forester, the Octavia Combi, the Optra SRV, through to the original Ford Fusion and Fusion Plus and then the Skoda Yeti and S Cross and even the Merc R Class and GLA and all. Some of these were crossovers and some of them Estate cars and some, SUV’s.

As has been remarked often, all of these were simply too far ahead of their time and hence never met with the appreciation that they richly deserved for their sheer practicality and utility value.

The terms Estate and Crossover, in India at least, dont carry quite the same cachet as the term SUV does.

In my Opinion, large hatchbacks are already the biggest segment in India, we just call them CSUV (or KUV, LUV, ro any combination thereof). MG Astor, S-Cross, Nexon, Venue, Magnite etc even look like a Hatch.

Estates, I'm not sure. They don't look good, don't have much utility that cannot be filled by MUVs like Innova or Ertiga.

Sadly, no (at least in my opinion).

India is a price-sensitive market, and most hatches will cost as much as a similarly configured "urban SUV"/"Crossover"; cars like the Creta, Taigun, Kushaq, Seltos, Nexon, HyRyder, Grand Vitara, Hector etc.

At best, large sporty hatches (150bhp+/150Nm+) would be a tiny niche market. For a city runabout, you have vehicles like the i10/i20. For a long-distance mile muncher, you have MUVs like the Innova. For someone who wants a bit more comfort than an i20, there are the above-mentioned "crossovers" as well as their bigger brothers like the Kodiaq, Tiquan, Tuscon, Gloster, XUV700, etc.

This segment has been hijacked by the MUV/UV. The whole concept of premium hatchback is niche in India. I would definitely like to see this grow.

Say no more:

Honda Fit Shuttle - Wikipedia
It was sold in ASEAN markets with the Jazz and City.

Voted No.

I have travelled in a Golf, Focus, Astra, i30 and Octavia in Germany. The Golf feels more premium than even the Octavia. and there is very little between the remaining cars.

Although I would buy a global product like the i30/Golf meant for a mature market like Western Europe any day over an emerging market product like the Creta, please note that these global products are built better, finished better and are overall engineered more thoughtfully than any product within 25 L in our market today and therefore will cost more to make.

The marques cannot price the cars for them to sell here and make a profit.

Besides the last haven of the hatchback and the estate, Western Europe is also migrating towards crossovers.

10 years back, I would have said Yes. Today the market is in love with these crossovers and suddenly hatchbacks have lost traction. Although there is another side to it, the Polo before getting discontinued was still managing decent sales for a decade old car with no direct improvements. The Baleno and i20 are still pulling in decent numbers but would people choose them over equivalent sedans or crossovers? Highly doubt. Is there a market? Yes. India is a huge market and today it's not just about a primary car. People opt for these as second or third cars. If the not so practical Thar can pull of decent numbers, I see no reason for a premium hatchback to manage that. Obviously the numbers wouldn't be very high but definitely manageable.

Voted NO.

In our country, hatchbacks are price sensitive till now for larger market. However choices are getting changed as people started giving preference to crossover and SUVs.

It's tough to find market for large hatchbacks. But who knows!!! Increased Ground Clearance with bold look may find a place.

I have voted yes, but I would say it’s only a limited potential in terms of numbers. I would love to have a premium hatchback with luxury interiors and all safety features as my daily drive, but that’s just me. For the non enthusiastic Indian car buyer, I will be an idiot because for the same money I could have bought a sedan or an suv. Speaking from my own experience, when I bought the Punto as my first car, many elders and senior colleagues asked me why I didn’t buy the Dzire for the same money. Eventually I had to let go of the Punto because I entered middle age and my parents became senior citizens and all of us started disliking the low seating of the Punto. So when it was time to upgrade hatchbacks or sedans were not even in the short list. In a nutshell, I believe large hatchbacks will still appeal to younger people with deeper pockets and preference for some exclusivity, but such people will probably be very few in our country.

I guess Yes, a large hatchback, say priced 10% less of the same sedan or some places even at par should be fine, but the problem is this doesn't works for all the car/models or manufacturers, opinion is, city to jazz possibly won’t work but Virtus to 4mtrs plus polo is very likely to work, agreed it does gets complex for manufacturers but definitely there is a growing audience for everything new around us and with the growing affluency and all, go to any area of consumerism, there is an audience for it, slow, fast or just a matter of time, but yes!.

Regards/DJ