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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-3.html)

Arent products like Hyundai Venue / Kia Sonet, filling that gap?

Votes yes - purely out of emotions. Reality - hell no - if sold as a "hatchback".

We have always failed to get the potential of potent large hatchbacks. And of course, this has been vastly aided by all the automakers - that kept on churning out dogs and pigs at best, as hatchbacks (no offence to the animals).

I still crave and keep wishing for a GTI or similar red-hot hatch to be available here. I'm no fan of SUVs really - unless its a "Jeep" like the Thar. And then - the practicality for a daily and occasional long distance use that a heavy, powerful and dynamically settled hatch provides, is unmatched.

While at it - large hatches sell very well in our market. They are just called "Subcompact SUVs" now :).

I would have voted No (cannot vote yet)

The primary customers of hatchbacks in our country are very cost sensitive and a large hatch back would not qualify for the lower excise duty for Sub 4m vehicles.
Additionally the Subcompact SUVs would be more practical on our roads and have a better aspirational value compared to a similarly priced large hatchback.

Ah! The elusive large hatchbacks! They do make a lot of sense and they are actually doing pretty good in the Indian market...just a teeny-weeny change in the way they are presented. I'll let a pic do the talking.

Jokes apart! I do wish the real ones come to our shores though, but I guess it's a long time away. Maybe electrification can accelerate things.

Voted No.
I love hatchbacks, especially the larger ones.
I'd have loved to have a Focus or a Giulietta in my garage. BUT, and a big but, is the relevance for India.
Our roads are not meant for low slung vehicles with medium/longer/ish wheelbase. Small hatches go into the potholes and come out. The next segment go into those and get their rims bent.
Next is our famous speed breakers. Owners of Honda City/Civic (actually based on hatchbacks) can immediately relate.
The makers of this country's roads have had something against the babus being driven around in long cars. Hence, our junta have just decided to solve the issue by jacking the suspension up and call them SUVs.Front wheel driven Sports (meh!) Utility (yeah, I'm wondering too) Vehicle (that bit is technically correct). I think we get the drift.
So, while the SRV was a good and a really good looking attempt (remember Standard 2000?) , I don't think our country was ever ready for a mature full size hatch.

Even though I've voted Yes, i don't think it makes any sense to manufauters to bring large hatchbacks to India.
Especially when they can develop a small C-SUV at the same cost and comfortably price it higher due to the demand and SUV craze in India.
People are willing to pay more for the SUV form factor eventhough some Hatchback gives more features and better driving dynamics.

I would have voted no. Large hatchback essentially means greater than 4 metres. With Indian driving conditions where driving even a small car is essentially a nightmare, a car greater than 4 metre is very difficult to manoeuver in the city. Heck, where is the potential where even the S-Presso is positioned as an SUV and where it seeing more sales than its same priced competitor the Alto duo? It's clear that the days of hatchback are over.

We want an SUV handling like a hatchback, not a hatchback itself 😤

They’ are already successful here.
Creta, Harrier, Grand Vitara, Jeep Compass, Tuscon, Xuv700, Kodiak, Tiguan etc etc aren’t these glorified XL-3XL size hatchbacks ?

XL-3XL sized hatcbacks? In which case a proper Range Rover would be 4XL hatchback?
I wouldn't call any of those Glorified hatchbacks. They are proper SUVs.
When I think hatchback on stilts I think more of the Ecosport, Sonet, Kushaq, Taigun and other such sub-4m cars labelled as SUVs.

I simply love my hot hatch. But while it is zippy and darts about and is easy to park and is a real joy on the highways and twisty hill roads with that lovely power on tap, supported by that delicious growl, our treacherous and downright nasty road conditions tend to make me gravitate most times towards my big Jeepy vehicle.

One would think that I would prefer to use my hatch inside our city. Sadly, considering the conditions we live with here, my Jeepy thing is far better able to take the stress and strain and consequently my blood pressure remains under control.

Its a no brainer therefore, that most Indians will tend to choose an SUV or C SUV or any vehicle with good ground clearance in order to just survive the daily skirmishes we have on the roads while commuting about our business.

We need that confidence because never has it been more evident than now, that on Indian roads at least, Might is Always Right.

I hate it. But I am forced to live with it.

Voted No and with a heavy heart.

Large (proper) hatchbacks are better to look at and drive than budget cut price 'sedans' but the latter had been fed to the Indian market due to a perception bias.

On the bright side, we have actually jumped into the global crossover/suv bandwagon which in essence is a proper hatchback underneath as the donor platform (4m+ and practical)

I guess the same applies to the wane of the estates and to an even greater degree

Same thing when I see the Alto and echuvee Spresso side by side. rl:

If polo gt tsi can sell for 11.75 L on road and i20 N line for 14 L on road. Then there is definitely potential for a good large hatch in 22-24 L price bracket provided it comes with a powerful engine and feel good interior’s. Not like the overpriced Mini Cooper, place it just below 25 L and it will have takers, not alot but it can definitely do 1000-1500 copies a month.

Voted No. Larger hatchbacks make sense as a daily driver in wealthy markets where customers value better creature comforts & space, in addition to nicer acceleration and handling on the interstate - most people have to get onto one for their daily commute.

And they have their MUVs parked in the garage for real highway trips.

In India, those 'benefits' of a large hatchback translate to an 'expensive' city round-about, expensive both at the showroom and at the pump, one which is difficult to maneuver in our cities, and short of cargo space for the highway. Ticks very few boxes in our context.
Reduce dimensions, reduce engine capacity, add GC. Probably a diesel. And then it appeals to us, marketed as crossovers.

I remember Hyundai Getz was one such product here, never did too well I suppose for some of these reasons.

Voted no.
There is a big market for large hatchbacks in India (Contradictory right, please read through). But the length, height and ground clearance are slightly rearranged for India. Length is reduced under 4m (tax benefit man), height is increased (better headroom man), and ground clearance is increased (to save speed breakers and potholes from getting damaged by car's underbody lol:). They are called sub 4m SUVs in India. In an age where 'enthusiasts' are also going after 'the practical choice', you can't expect a large hatch back has any market here. But if you increase the height and ground clearance, then 'the game' changes. By the time I would want to upgrade my car, may be after 5 years, I am not sure if there would be any sedans left in our market.