[cruiser_1982]

Premium Hatchback is currently a non-existent segment in India. Eventhough Fabia and I20 claim that they are premium hatchbacks, there are a lot of compromises in them. What are the premium cars in India? wont the answers be the cars starting from atleast D segment? A premium hatch should have everything these premium sedans offer minus the Boot.

[absynthguzzler]

1. The person who seeks a premium hatch at most times end up being dependent on his family to fund the desire.hence the choices get toned down or in other words, this market is too small.Bugger this, I'll just get the Civic or Fiesta 1.6S instead and justify the costing.
2. A person who seeks buying it with his own money ends up having to consider if its degrading his social status size wise or he's got family to accommodate including suitcases for all.Bugger this, i'll just get a Diesel and Pete it.
3. The person who buys a premium hatch hardly gets benefited by the engine(that what everyone seeks in a premium hatch) within the confines of our cities. I've been perfectly happy driving the 800 as long as there's AC.Unless driven rashly, no car can overshoot the herd by more than 15-20mins to any destination.If your aim is this, then you belong to point no1 in most cases.Its just no fun in parking your own car in India either .Size doesn't matter when it comes to our cramped or unorganized parking bay/parks.Bugger this , I'll just get myself a Cedia and have space for the boom box even.
4. More importantly i reckon the market for premium hatches are female drivers.But their enthusiasm is cut short by the chauffeur driven classification we give ourselves/ladies to be considered as up-class.Bugger this, I'll buy the i20 cause its cute and pay the driver from the savings.

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by karanraheja

Fabia -success?? I dont think so.

Well i personally feel yes there is good scope for these cars. Butttt manufacturers shouldnt go overboard with the pricing. If Punto, Jazz and Toyota s hatchback ( Yaris?) are priced below Fabia levels and have better engines then they would surely sell well. Fiat, Honda and Toyota would have got a hint by now that they wont be selling in nos if they price it at Fabia levels.

With the amount of traffic and congestion in our roads i think these hatches will sell as long as they fit to their premium.

For the target Skoda had set for itself, its doing immensely well. Even Market reports have termed it as a success.
Also Fiat palio is selling more than Fiat's target of 250 units a month.

But as we approach 7 lacs and above its evident that Optra SRV and Ford Fusion have problems staying afloat. The brand recognition with these models is also a problem though. I think they should sell if they justify the price minus the size.

[Glass]

I bought a higher end model of Fusion after similar consideration, and have no regrets whatever. I feel I have everything in a sedan (Fiesta being closest), plus a much practical city drive.

[superbhikari]

I feel that Indian market can accomodate any segment only if the car manufacturers keep there targets realistic and right.

[nukeblitz]

I feel that there is another class of people who really do not care about the image of the vehicle they are buying. For them practicality is most important. In india's metros, hatchbacks are usually easier to drive around, park and so forth. And when these people have money, they want the most creature comforts their money can get them. I've known quite a few people who wanted a ultra high end hatchback as they used it mostly within the city but ended up sedans simply because they were not as comfortable enough or didn't have all the features they wanted or maybe it wasn't powerful enough. Take the Fabia for example, the engine simply isn't good enough for that price. Supposing the Fabia came with the Getz's 1.5 CRDi, I think that it'll find a whole lot more customers.

So, I feel that the market for a premium hatchbacks is not that great in india just because no premium hatch back is truly outstanding. If the manufacturers put in some money, I'm sure it'll open up, Also, from an indian's point of view, it would mean getting all the features, power and creature comforts of a 15 lac car for 10 lacs, by all means, get it...don't you think???

[ritz830]

Originally Posted by Glass

I bought a higher end model of Fusion after similar consideration, and have no regrets whatever. I feel I have everything in a sedan (Fiesta being closest), plus a much practical city drive.

Thats true. I strongly think Fusion is the best looking hatcback in India now. And those huge R15 wheels make it look super cool


How is the Ford service guys treating you?

[Glass]

Originally Posted by ritz830

Thats true. I strongly think Fusion is the best looking hatcback in India now. And those huge R15 wheels make it look super cool

How is the Ford service guys treating you?

Service is decent and my experience has been reasonably good. I know at least one good service manager at Mody Ford in Hyderabad (Mr. Madhu) - who accepts an issue as an issue and works for its redressal with some personal interest, even if it means an extra day.
The biggest trouble I would ever have with car service is when service person pretends there is no issue and you have to prove it being in the dock - fortunately that has not been the case.

While there have been cuts in spare prices to reasonable levels in general, prices of some parts which remain unreasonable turn me insane though.

[Mayavi]

You can't blame Indians for the way they think about hatchbacks and sedans. We have to remember that Maruti 800 was the only hatchback that was available or seen on Indian roads for 15 years and it was relatively cheap. All the expensive cars during those 15 years and prior to that, including the good ol Amby, came with a boot. Hence boot = expensive which only rick people can afford and Hatchback = cheap which affluent commoners can afford.
Even in the US, Merc and BMW's dont sell their hatchbacks to retain the 'premium luxury' manufacturer tag. Merc made the mistake of bringing their C-class coupe which is actually a hatchback and it failed miserably. BMW failed with its 318 hatchback but the later 3 series coupes were a hit and still command a premium.

[Thad E Ginathom]

When I was buying (bought the Swift) I would have paid quite a lot more for a higher-end car of the same size or even smaller. I would have paid for comfort and extras, and the expectation of not needing to think about another car for ten years or more. I would probably have bought a Fabia at the time, had it been available; now the engine options, high cost, and high cost of ownership put me off.

I drove a sedan/saloon (American/English, I think?) for the last couple of years I was in London: Rover 620, British-built Honda Accord. I had previously been used to hatchbacks, and enjoyed the flexibility and practicality. The Rover's boot may have been big enough (not big enough, for instance, to take four people and their luggage to the airport, though), and the back seat could be dropped, but still, it took acrobatics to get stuff in through that small hole or the doors.

For the same car length, I don't see why a hatchback should be any cheaper to build or sell than a saloon.

I don't know about build quality, but the i20 seems to score on much of my requirements. I'd probably wait for the diesel (the past couple of years has raised easy-going torque above whizz-bang acceleration in my ratings).

I don't know, but has there every been a luxury small car anywhere? Mercedes has the A-class, though it is not exactly plush for it's price, but has that all-important star on the front. Audi tried with a very small car, which unfortunately turned out to be a very bad car

[lurker]

i30 is what seems to fit most enthusiastis bill. It has a very powerful 1.6 CRDI engine w/113 bhp and 255 nm torque.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by sanstorm

meaning no requirement of huge boot space to carry tools (mostly norm in developed countries)

Fold the rear seat and a big hatch will carry far more luggage than most sedans. Hatchbacks are known for their practicality.

Originally Posted by devarshi84

For the target Skoda had set for itself, its doing immensely well.

Sheesh, the Fabia is a market FLOP. It is currently the worst selling hatch in India and is languishing at 250 - 300 cars a month. By no stretch of imagination is the car doing "immensely well". In fact, the Octavia / Laura meet / exceed the Fabias sales. And Skoda had set a target of 1,000 cars a month or 12,000 cars per annum....something that has clearly been missed due to their exhorbitant pricing structure + lousy engines.

Even Market reports have termed it as a success.

Market reports? Let me guess. Auto magazines?

[abhinav.gupta88]

If the spares are made from the vw factory, and the local contnt is increased, then fabia's pricing may come down, only then can the fabia be a success.

Also if VW comes up with the Golf, it needs to price it correctly to find success.


By the way, guys what's your view.
Even if Honda Jazz be overpriced(which it will be), will it be a success considering the Honda Badge?

[harry10]

Originally Posted by abhinav.gupta88

By the way, guys what's your view.
Even if Honda Jazz be overpriced(which it will be), will it be a success considering the Honda Badge?

I doubt that if Jazz is somewhere around 7+ it may sell in good quantity as most people inspite of the badge still look for a hatch in 5-6 range.

[nickatnite]

There's a market in India for any vehicle that in NOT sporty, sleek or performance oriented. Witness the Wagon-R in the top 10 list for years.