[steadfast]

Vote No.

Reasons:
1.) Sub 4 m rule
2.) Hatchback means a 'choti car' hence reflects a lower status in our society as compared to a subcompact SUV, sedan even of a lower price than hatchback.
3.) No business case. Prices will not be justifiable apart for a niche of buyers. Niche buyers do not reflect success in mass market. Besides even premium brand like Mercedes, Audi and BMW launched big hatches and they failed.

[akg7091]

I'd buy a c segment hatchback over a CSUV any day but I think the mass market won't and a large hatch is doomed to fail in India. We Indians value the "dicky" and the "suv" look, not the practicality and functionality.

[Torq]

I've seen some of the XL sized hatches from Merc and BMW stable. In fact, one of my postgrad profs drove a BMW hatch for a long time. Once I casually asked her why didn't she buy a sedan at that price point? I hope you get the point.

Also, aren't the current CSUVs just large hatches on stilts?
Indians are obsessed with high GC.
So, no, I don't think large hatches have a market here.

[Garud]

I had to vote no. Although I am a huge hatch aficionado, the current market is head over heals for SUV body styles. In this situation, bringing in a c segment hatchback would not look very appetizing for carmakers. Also, I feel like the general public who would be willing to pay for a c segment hatch would instead pay for a sub 4 sedan since it carries the "sedan" badge.

If this poll were asking for my wish, I would have voted yes, but realistically speaking, I don't see hatches having a large market anytime soon.

[Mahven]

Originally Posted by batish

Considering how the roads are in our country,

I don't know why we still are in this 'BAD ROADS' hangover. With the country's infrastructure doing better year-on-year there is nothing but fewer challenges for cars with less ground clearance.

There are people who have driven sedans their whole life and I think they could vouch for my statement above. Just think how much we used to worry, over our car bellies scraping 5 years back, to now.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by batish

They don't even look nice. See

Really? Look again maybe

Originally Posted by DicKy

Would love to vote Yes. Something like a Corolla hatch or a Mazda 3 hatch.

I own a Mazda 3 in Germany and have a Venue back in India.
The car is amazing, well put together and even bigger than F30/F31 3 series but I have accepted the fact that premium hatchbacks are a dying breed and you will have to force people to pay 20 big ones to get one of these instead of SUVs even in Western World.

Some eye candy

[neerajku]

In the next few years only three types will sell, in large numbers, Mid & small sized SUVs, MUVs and small, agile, feature rich hatch backs. Sedans will be a lowly fourth. Experts may keep harping on its potential but this is a different market now which believes that SUV/MUVs are for highway. Right or wrong. And with good roads, more and more would love to drive. SUV/MUV can move more people, luggage, have good GC, bigger visibility and with better drivability are mistakenly thought to be safer and less tiring. Estates have no future.

[ChandraSekarMN]

I am just surprised to see the voting percentage in favour of Yes. My vote is a Strict NO.
As many have mentioned already, most Indians have a single car garage and it should be a Do IT All. Having a large hatch (read powerfull too) reduces the practicality of doing City & occasional Highway trips due to boot space and fuel efficiency (to some extent). And as a typical Indian, i would prefer a (proper) Sedan than its Hatch counterpart for the practicality and 'More Car - per Car' mindset.

[batish]

Originally Posted by Mahven

I don't know why we still are in this 'BAD ROADS' hangover. With the country's infrastructure doing better year-on-year there is nothing but fewer challenges for cars with less ground clearance.

There are people who have driven sedans their whole life and I think they could vouch for my statement above. Just think how much we used to worry, over our car bellies scraping 5 years back, to now.

That's not hangover. Perhaps, What you're talking about are highways/expressways. City roads are still the same. I haven't seen much improvement. Only time they are repaired are whenever there is any VIP movement (atleast in my area).

I wish I could agree with your statement, unfortunately I had to mail my district's DM a mail few weeks back about road condition with this attachment.



It's not tier-2 or tier 3 city where traffic density is low, this road sees thousands of vehicles every single day.

This was the condition. See the slithering motion of Jaguar.

https://youtu.be/Yh5i2SxQTm8

This is when we don't have flooding in our cities regularly. You know what happens when there is rain for few hours but that's a different OT.

I have driven a sedan for >100,000 kms on our roads so I know how they fare in our conditions plus road infra varies from state to state. Delhi has good roads with no noticeable damaged roads but can't say the same about Haryana. So, it's not a hangover.

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Really? Look again maybe

Naah! Still doesn't appeal to me. I'd buy a proper sedan or SUV rather than this hybrid variety. It's neither this nor that, might be practical but doesn't appeal to me.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by batish

They don't even look nice. See
Attachment 2377548

Originally Posted by invidious

Station wagons are popular in some parts of Europe but are duds otherwise. And they just look sad.

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Really? Look again maybe
Attachment 2379175

I think the discussion got digressed from 'large hatchbacks' to station wagons. There are really cool-looking station wagons. In my eyes, some of them are even better looking than their corresponding sedan/hatch versions. I like station wagons. I like large hatchbacks too. My idea of the perfect 'sleeper car' always revolves around a station wagon. (I didn't mean a car with a full-sized bed or anything, just pre-empting some replies )



If I'm given the choice of selecting between a station wagon and an SUV with the same engine spec & features, I'd choose the station wagon. They are low GC, but spacious. Don't want to sit 'high' on an SUV and suffer all the body roll. Maybe I am the odd person out, as ~99% of car buyers prefer to buy SUVs or cars that pretend to be SUVs. Yes, this is a country where S-Presso exists

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by Arsenic

But how can a large hatch succeed?

I think there's 3 ways that these big hatchbacks can capture sales:

1) Price them to sell!

2) Bring the hot-headed versions!

3) Sell them as alternatives to electric crossovers!
Wouldn't many of us rather have an MG4 vs the ZS EV? I personally wouldn't mind purchasing a Nissan Leaf or VW ID.3 at a decent price.

The warm/hot large hatchback that’s priced well.

The enthusiast’s dream and product planner’s nightmare.

Sorry buddy. This ain’t gonna happen.

You can search the Indian automotive history for numerous examples to understand why.

I do recollect two of my own personal experiences.

When Ford pulled the plug on the Fiesta 1.6S, I did tell some senior folk at Ford that it was disappointing. The response was quite frank and obvious. People didn’t buy it. Heck, I myself could only afford the 1.6 ZXI back then, so I knew the reality.

Many years later I wanted to get the Figo AT hatchback and not the compact sedan because the later was not good looking. Ford couldn’t sell me a hatchback and I got the CS instead.

Cars and especially hatchbacks are a dying breed in developed countries and I don’t see potential for them in India.

[any23]

Voted - NO!

Wanted to vote YES, but went ahead and voted NO, a market where even A-segment and B-segment cars look more like SUV's, do we even have space left on the showroom floor for normal hatchbacks?

Primary buying criteria in India market is GROUND CLEARANCE.

[UD17]

Voted- No

Larger hatchbacks are neither here nor there wrt the broad requirements among Indian consumers.

Hatchback (even though it is large) are still considered Budget (perception)
Have a big fraction of shortcomings of hatchbacks
Have very small fraction of advantages of SUV (or compact SUVs)
Prices are overlapping with the range of SUVs

[the.dogfather]

Voted No.
People who prefer hatchbacks over sedans do so for the compact dimensions. The premium hatchbacks have a market in India as compared to larger hatchbacks.
I know a few people who do not mind spending more to get a premium car, but they do not want to lose the advantage of having compact dimensions.
Unfortunately, there are hardly any cars which satisfy these criteria.

Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz had started the premium hatchback segment, but we do not see any bigger engines coming in these segments due to the 1.2l excise duty rules. The compact SUV segment has taken over sedans and bigger hatchbacks, and I do not see this trend coming back. The Audi Q3 had better sales as compared to the A series and BMW 1 series, which goes to show that people prefer SUVs over bigger hatchbacks if they are in the same price band. The GLA also sold well with the SUV body style. I think it is the era of SUVs and that would be the focus for most customers and manufacturers in the near future.

[amitayu]

Ok. Are we discussing hatchbacks or station wagons of yore?

The thing with hatchback in Indian market is the sub-4 mtr excise rules, which makes a big difference in prices. This is the reason why we have even pseudo sedans & SUVs being launched which are under 4mtrs.

The moment you go beyond 4mtrs, you are looking at a different pricing range altogether. This may not be commensurate with quality of the product as companies then may try for cost cutting on other aspects.

Ideally, a proper hatchback which maybe bigger than 4mtrs and having more than 1200cc engine (I mean, if you are not going to get the sub 4mtr excise factor, why not give a better engine as well?) can definitely do good business if the product is good, as long as the price is lower than the sedans.