[Gooney]

[quote=kiku007;1987797]Boss, we live in a country where a good number of people would be questioning why there aren't third row of seats in hatchbacks like MUVs
quote]

Also, try asking your in-laws to enter the rear of the car through the "front" door.

India is almost ready for luxury coupé but as pointed out, not for mass-market two-door hatchbacks.

[avigster]

[quote=Gooney;1987865][quote=kiku007;1987797]Boss, we live in a country where a good number of people would be questioning why there aren't third row of seats in hatchbacks like MUVs

Also, try asking your in-laws to enter the rear of the car through the "front" door.

India is almost ready for luxury coupé but as pointed out, not for mass-market two-door hatchbacks.

I second that sir!!!

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by kiku007

Boss, we live in a country where a good number of people would be questioning why there aren't third row of seats in hatchbacks like MUVs

The target audience for 3 Door hatches is too miniscule in India. Won't work here.

Sure, the 'good' number of people can buy the 4 door hatches. Rest will buy 2 door na?

Check out the number of hotted up Swifts running around, then multiply by 4 and you get get an idea of the size of market.

People said the same thing for bikes 10 years ago and now the market is floooded with 150 cc 'sports theme' bikes like FZ, RTR, Dazzler and Pulsar.

[xingamazon]

Well the answer is simple.

Two doors are used when you are young and are moving around with younger friends.
Imagine, asking your aged parents to hop behind the folded seat and sit in the rear seat. I can bet, my father in law will prefer taking an auto instead of doing this huge task of hoping and sitting in my rear seat.

We keep talking of easier ingress with elders in mind, asking them to do this task is too big an ask. Clue, look into the innova and Endevur the last row is reversed for the smallest kids in our family because of difficulty to get in.

So in markets with joint families you will not find two door cars.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Sure, the 'good' number of people can buy the 4 door hatches. Rest will buy 2 door na?

Check out the number of hotted up Swifts running around, then multiply by 4 and you get get an idea of the size of market.

People said the same thing for bikes 10 years ago and now the market is floooded with 150 cc 'sports theme' bikes like FZ, RTR, Dazzler and Pulsar.

Mpower, I'd be glad to agree. But the spread for petrol heads has gone bad in the past few years. We don't even have good 1.6L/100 BHP petrol hot hatches for the small number of people ready to pay the money. 3 door hatch is a too distant dream sadly

Bikes, yes. Damn, they come with alloy wheels as std now Quite a pampered lot.

[theMAG]

India does not buy 2-door. Cars are very much a functional asset rather than recreational - nothing like that 5-door hatch to increase people/luggage loading.

The remaining 0.01 % who dont conform to this segment are rich enough to buy direct imports with 2-doors.

[rajeev k]

Earlier a car is bought for the family use whereas today a family has more than a car. Also a family of four used to travel in scooters then (hamara bajaj!).
Today more and more young ones are seen in cars. Time is not far when two door versions of all the popular hatches would be up for grabs. Not like the the export (surplus) Zen Steel or Carbons but made specifically for India and Indians. At the most with in three years.

[prince_pervez]

Even if we manage to sneek a coupe version of anything in India, it will still be restricted to people who already have their basic cars for everything. The coupe will be the second fiddle most of the times. They guys who will buy a coupe in the first go is even a rarer breed.

[kraft.wagen]

Or may be manufacturers should come up with a limited edition like they did for Zen carbon

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Or may be manufacturers should come up with a limited edition like they did for Zen carbon

I remember reading that it was an clearance sale i.e. the leftovers from export batches. Am I right??

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Or may be manufacturers should come up with a limited edition like they did for Zen carbon

Exactly but rather than limited numbers, keep a variant running.

Most of the hatches built here are also exported. Some of them are two door variants, aren't they? How much would it really cost a manufacturer?

[1100D]

I dont see a harm in trying out. The mentality of people are changing at large. These days, even joint family folks are finding it difficult to find a common time out. Nuclearisation of the family is at its peak. Not that I am all for it, but this scenario would probably sell a few more 2-door hatches than it ever did.

A few years back, who would buy a big hatchback costlier than many sedans?

Changes are happenning.

I am sure, if Maruti or Hyundai offers those options, slowly and steadily they will pick up popularity.

[prince_pervez]

Yeah! Throw words like 'Cost Cutting' etc and 2 door hatches might see the light of day. Heck even the Porche Panarema found its way to India because of 4 doors

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Exactly but rather than limited numbers, keep a variant running.

Most of the hatches built here are also exported. Some of them are two door variants, aren't they? How much would it really cost a manufacturer?

Absolutely, but how many coupes can they target? May be 1 in a 1000 might think of getting a coupe or even less? And of this how many will actually buy

But Mclaren this is a question that has been on mind for long and i used to give myself an answer like below

We prefer 4 doors since we always have people around when we travel.
Also most of us don't prefer getting down every time a person needs to hop in or out. This is a personal experience, I have a coupe here, and my friends feel so lethargic and irritated every time a person in the back seat needs to be dropped or picked up

Unlike other countries where mostly people travel alone and they have a SUV or Sedans or rental cars when they go on trips.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by kiku007

Mpower, I'd be glad to agree. But the spread for petrol heads has gone bad in the past few years. We don't even have good 1.6L/100 BHP petrol hot hatches for the small number of people ready to pay the money. 3 door hatch is a too distant dream sadly

Bikes, yes. Damn, they come with alloy wheels as std now Quite a pampered lot.

I think you are mixing up 2 entirely different things. Hot looks and hot performance. Customers want the looks but not necessarily the performance (because perf = low FE).

Same story in the bike market. Zmas and 220 sell in small nos whereas the hot looking 150s make up the bulk of sales.

PS: check out the FZ16/R15 to get an idea of how far we have come in hot looks and technology.