[Ays7]

Voted No!

I think the market has already moved on to Compact Sedans now and Crossover SUV’s. In India people prefer the tall boy style of CSUV’s and hatchbacks sell only for the sole reason of affordability. Surely there would be a few style and design lovers and enthusiasts that may go for it, but I do not see them being easily accepted in mass market. We are a market where even an Espresso and Tata Punch are being marketed as SUV’s. That gives us a fair idea of where the market is headed.

[avingodb]

I would have bought the SX4 hatchback if it was there, for example. I liked it having seen it on the roads in Beijing.

[Carma2017]

The market already has large hatchbacks in the form of the pseudo SUVs which are nothing but glorified hatchbacks. The point is do we need lower roof hatchbacks or not. I would say why not because a good looking value car would always sell irrespective of body profile. One can always challenge this with the Sedan example of non sales. That's true but then again value proposition of today's Sedan just ain't there.

[itsbaman]

Voted No. I will never buy a hatch priced similar to a proper sedan. I'll prefer proper sedans like Slavia, Virtus, or City. The whole point of buying a hatch is its low price. And yes, large hatches do look disproportionate to me.

[shibujp]

I love powerful hatch backs and the concept of having your cake and eating it too. Till date all four of my cars have been hatches even when I had the finances to move to a C Segment sedan or a compact SUV. I have never regretted it.

However in India I see two issues that fundamentally are issues in limiting the success of large hatches:
1. Market maturity - as the market mature people are less focused on space and the impression that a car conveys. Buying is more driving about focussing on fit for purpose and no compromises. Hence in the European market you have hatchbacks of extremely high quality, very powerful and excellent boot space. Need more space and you have the estates. And most European countries are relatively small and parking space is not too much with a large proportion of two lane highways.
2. The SUV craze. This makes any large hatch a still born. It's difficult for a hatch to overcome this. Especially as India have relatively more space except in cities which make the size of SUVs not so much a liability. And the state of our roads make SUVs more practical.

That said you occasionally have these gems pop up in our market for a limited period of time. The Polo 1.6GT, the Abarth Punto, the Baleno RS, the Getz CRDI to name a few. Owners who have them know what they deliver. But it's never going to be a volume game in India.

Drive on,
Shibu

[wheeledsoul]

Mazda are you reading this "3"ed?

Ford is no longer "Focus"ing on the Indian market I guess.

Peugeot 38

P.S: I voted yes. I believe large and spacious hatches with power figures similar to or more than compact SUVs will definitely sell.

[Hayek]

Let’s face the facts - the hatchback and the sedan are both dying species in India and also almost everywhere else in the world. Why? They have both been ousted by hatchbacks (or estates) on stilts aka crossovers. Both my cars are crossovers - basically estates on stilts albeit with AWD. They give you the practicality of an estate with plenty of boot space, better rear leg room for a given footprint and also have adequate ground clearance and ruggedness to tackle potholed Indian roads. For Indians, it is a no brainier - a cross over will always win over a hatch or a sedan. Only those who can’t afford crossovers will stick to hatches.

The amazing thing is that even in markets like the US and Europe, where roads are much better, crossovers are gaining share. When that is happening, don’t see any hope for large (and expensive) hatches in India.

[Small Bot]

Voted No.

The status perception of hatchbacks is less than that of crossovers/ SUVs.

I saw this live when a friend rejected the i20 to buy a Venue, just because of the status it brings as an 'SUV', as opposed to a hatchback, though it's the same engine and gearbox in both cars. Not to mention the additional ground clearance making the car be perceived as more 'Indian roads-friendly'.

Let's face it, big hatchbacks are not very desirable to the regular consumer in India, small hatchbacks are the only ones that will sell.

[Blue Vitriol]

We had a few in the past and currently, the market isn't feasible enough for the manufacturers to focus on them while they are putting the efforts and cash towards the EV side.

What could be done is making slightly larger EV hatchbacks (those batteries need space, and that means longer wheelbase and space for consumers) and priced correctly, I'd be in line to get one in 3-4 years of time. Let's picture: S-Cross with EV power-train + modern features (duh) and front boot. So tempting, isn't it!?

[COMMUTER]

Bigger cars will sell well only when the government doesn't tax them into oblivion. All the cars that pass for SUVs under 4 meters, and many of those which are slightly bigger, are just hatchbacks, howsoever different the sellers brand them to be. I badly want to see the government compulsorily limit its employees and elects to using the cars that they decide are of 'satisfactory' size for the middle class, above which they start taxing insanely high rates.

[vsbabu]

Voted NO because people who choose a hatchback over a "SUV" (most specimens of which are merely a bit more boxy than a hatchback) are in minority in our country. I drive a hatchback marketed as a CSUV because I wanted to have something that retains value a bit more - however, if I get a good deal on a Jazz (CVT or diesel) or even GT TSI, I'd certainly go for it as an additional car. Talking to my friends circle, there is just 1 person who has similar views. Both of us are considered dinosaurs because we prefer estates (great looks, utility and comfort - Subaru Outback and VW Passat in US in early 2000s, Palio Adventure in India we tasted were IMHO far more desirable than current CSUVs). Then again, we don't see much difference with "commanding" driver's view or GC unless we move to larger SUVs like Fortuner/Endeavour/Pajero or may be XUV if you stretch a bit.

Also, almost all these friends prefer a Sedan if budget is between a hatchback or CSUV. And all of them stretch their budget to get a CSUV Hence concluded large hatchback vs SUV is a losing investment.

[driver52001]

Large hatchbacks buyers would be a minority. The average Indian buyer wants a Swiss knife - 1 car for all purposes, which CSUV seems to fulfill. CSUV can take bad roads on budget, and that's the single biggest advantage for families to keep only 1 car for city and long drives to the hills.

[Mat095]

Voted Yes, definitely!

I think larger hatchbacks would bring some much needed diversity if launched at the correct price and nicer engines. Case in point i30 and a Golf, while the i30 can be launched alongside Verna and Creta the Golf may demand a premium and be launched alongside Virtus but the exciting part would be the i30 getting the 1.4 turbocharged petrol from the Hyundai stable and Golf getting a slightly more powerful motor than Virtus.

A lot of manufacturers offer these more premium hatches abroad and they are quite successful so why should our market be deprived of these beauties. Although, if these are launched they will surely take the “Premium” tag away from the likes of i20 and Altroz. Honda should be really the one starting the trend from City Hatch!

[invidious]

There needs to be product in that category which redefines the market. Ford did it with the Ecosport. Tata did it with the Indigo CS. Others took the lead from them.

Would it interest me? Nope. I'd just get a crossover. If I remember right, Ford had the Fusion which was a crossover ahead of its time. So I guess timing is everything.

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

[srinitdas]

Well. Manufacturers can sell large hatchbacks, just don't call it one.
Case in point: S-cross. It is one of the best to come out of the maruti stable and did acceptable sales. They tried to push it too much by calling it an SUV (which it absolutely wasn't), but personally, it always looked like a hatchback, and handled like one too. If they sold it again with the 1.6, I would simply replace my current one with a new one.