Team-BHP - Sedan sales analysis | Now, the least favourite segment?

I currently own a Sedan, when i was in the decision making process, it was really a tough one.

I had learned driving in Old Mahindra Jeep and then moved to a hatchback. So i knew the commanding view Jeep offered and plus the lesser backpain problems when compared to driving a hatchback.

But i went for a Sedan as it was offering best value. As people were flocking to CSUV's, they were insanely priced.

There are 3 reasons I see people going for SUV's,

1. Most of household share a single car and ladies want a higher view as they feel comfortable in that.
2. As everyone talks about GC issue in Sedan's when compared CSUV's people just follow the safer option and buy CSUV.
3. Back pain problems

It's unfortunate that sedan has become the least preferred option and the so called SUVs, most of which are sedans shaped as SUVs are selling like hot cakes. Yes, I do agree that ground clearance is a major issue on Indian roads. Except the very limited express ways, all other roads let it be highway or city, let alone towns and villages make you wish you had an SUV to just negotiate the horrendous sections of the road. The customer cannot be blamed, as buying an SUV has become synonymous to buying a car due to the prevailing road conditions. The customer wants SUVs and the manufacturers provide them what they want, ultimately they are here to make profit. So the manufacturers don't waste their time, effort and money in launching new sedans. Hence there are limited options when it comes to buying sedans. It's either available below 23 lakhs or above 45 lakhs, nothing in between. Even I end up saying at times that my next buy is going to be an SUV. I do look up the SUVs also, but ultimately end up buying a sedans. But if I had the option and finances to manage a fleet, I would definitely have an actual SUV in the garage. Like my brother and parents, they keep a sedan and an SUV so that the right car is used as per the requirement. For someone who is buying one car to meet all requirements, like most car owners in our country are, the preference for SUV is but natural. Sedans will continue to be the go to option of enthusiasts, multiple car owners and a selected few to whom the very image of a car is that of a sedan. Unless the road conditions improve, the demand for sedans will further deteriorate irrespective of it's advantages.

Sedans have superior

Driving dynamics
Aerodynamics
Efficiency at highway speeds
Cargo room

But they lose out on:

Crash safety (taller vehicles fare better in occupant protection)
Versatility across terrains
No Commanding Seating position
Less street cred/respect on the road
Ingress/Egress issues for people with knee issues

It's a pity that the above pros for Sedans give no advantage for ICE Sedans since they cannot fully demonstrate the aero and efficiency advantage they do possess. Without a tangible and demonstrable difference, they are having a hard time across the board.

EVs could benefit from all of the above. As an example Sedan/SUV pair, the shortest range $45k Tesla Model 3 and $50k Model Y have an identical battery of about 57.5kWh. But both mild and cold weather highway range on the Model Y is 20% less than the Model 3. In other words, the Model 3 could theoretically achieve the same highway range as a Standard range Model Y 57.5kWh with a 20% smaller 46kWh battery. And now since the Sedan is even lighter, it would still beat the SUV in range.

Model3 is able to do this because it is much more efficient than the Model Y. There is an aero advantage and 120kg weight advantage. This increased efficiency also helps the Model 3 charge faster (690km/hr vs 580 km/hr) even though both batteries accept charge at the same rate. So not only does it go further on a single charge, but it also takes less time to add say 250km to the battery than it does the Model Y even when charging at the same rate (of say 50kW).

In case of EVs, the Sedan form factor advantages are neither trivial, nor indemonstrable. The market is ripe for disruption, the cheapest Sedan EV is the 43 lakh BYD Seal. If someone like a Tata could put together a super slippery (in Aero Terms) Sedan based on the Punch.EV/Altroz platform with a 45-50kWh battery. It will definitely work if it ends up being >4m since (larger GST advantage). That way, it could be priced lower than an MG ZS EV (Made in India, smaller battery, NOT AN SUV discount etc.) while offering more *highway* range. Highway is where additional range and faster charging speeds help since within city nobody drives 300-400km in a day and you can always slow-charge at home overnight. They had the opportunity to do exactly that with the Curvv but given what we know, I am not holding my breath.

As the expressway infra is improving across the country and trains have become more and more crowded, more and more people are opting for driving over train. Long range efficient EVs would make highway drives much more peaceful without the NVH of an ICE engine. Sedans are the way to unlock this capability for the least possible cost.

I love the driving dynamics of sedans but realistically, living with a sedan in India gives a lot of heartache to typical users.

When I was in the market for a new car, I chose a Sub compact SUV (basically a hatchback on stilts Nissan Magnite CVT) because

1. Insufficient parking space
2. High approach angles for the parking areas
3. Horrible roads that already bottom out on my previous car Alto K10.
4. Everyone in the family literally wanted "SUV looking" high car!
5. Older people complaining that bending and getting into sedan was very difficult.

And I'm thankful I bought the Magnite everytime I see a horrible speed breaker or a steep parking ramp. I don't have to think twice about such situations.

But on highways, its not as good as it could have been. And suspension seems stiff.

However sedans like Virtus and Slavia alleviate some of these concerns. But still they require longer parking space and larger turning radii.