Premium Hatch Vs Fully-Loaded Sedan - which one do you choose?

VahanPujari · 17th July 2009, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by JVH

VP, Sorry but I couldn't resist. You are hell bent in finding out the people perception on Hatch/Sedan, aren't you? I remember reading a few posts of yours enquiring what is the popular choice in other countries as well.

Thats because of the advent of these new premium hatches positioned between Hatch & Sedan & are creating new segment. This would change market dynamics & its very interesting to understand how car customers think/ perceive to understand which way these premium hatches will impact more.
These posts are revealing something about it, aren't they?

VahanPujari · 17th July 2009, 16:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by finneyp

VP, it is all about $$$ and VFM!

For 7.5 lacs, I can either buy a fully-loaded hatch or a Sedan base-model!
If I am not particular abt safety features, and getting more space, boot, snob-value of a sedan at the same price, will go for the sedan!

If I am hell-bent on the safety features (like ABS, Air-bags) and cannot spend more than 7.5 lacs on the new car, I would go for a fully-loaded hatch.

Hence, for me it mainly depends on $$$ and whether I need Safety features or not.

No, then you missed a very imp point, finneyp.

The assumption is there is no budget constraint. Don't limit it to 7.5 Lacs.

Now what will you choose?

Ramsagar · 17th July 2009, 17:17

Voted for Sedan:At times I personally feel,waste of spending 6-7.9L for a hatch,instead better go for a used sedan.that what I'm doing now.

No offense.

shajufx · 17th July 2009, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by VahanPujari

The assumption is there is no budget constraint. Don't limit it to 7.5 Lacs. Now what will you choose?

Offcourse a SEDAN. I think hatchback is chosen by people only for convenience not for anything else. If you give me 20 laks, I would defenitely prefer a fully loaded sedan, than a hatchback with all the similar features and price ! Now people whom I know having an i20, Fabia, Punto, Bravo, Jazz etc. 80% of them have a sedan or SUV in the house. Or is it 90% ?

marathp · 17th July 2009, 18:34

I am actually going through the same dilemma. With a decent budget I am still contemplating on premium hatch or sedan. I felt even though the features are excellent, current premium hatches still lacks the space of a good sedan say Linea or SX4.

If there is a hatchback which provides the space of SX4 or Linea in India, I will definitely go for it. Boot, I still can live without.

So I feel it is not about Sedan or Hatchback, its about individual needs. Some wanted Sedan feel, some others brand image and some others A.S.S so on and so forth

marathp · 17th July 2009, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by shajufx

Now people whom I know having an i20, Fabia, Punto, Bravo, Jazz etc. 80% of them have a sedan or SUV in the house. Or is it 90% ?

I beg to differ. To quote an example (in the 10%-20% bracket, you can argue..

) I have a friend of mine, he is looking for Honda Jazz as a first car, just because he trusts Honda and its quality/safety features. Convenience or price doesn't matter to him. I don't own a sedan, still considering i20 for its features than convenience. Yet another purchased as an upgrade from M800.

VahanPujari · 17th July 2009, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by marathp

I beg to differ. To quote an example (in the 10%-20% bracket, you can argue..

) I have a friend of mine, he is looking for Honda Jazz as a first car, just because he trusts Honda and its quality/safety features. Convenience or price doesn't matter to him. I don't own a sedan, still considering i20 for its features than convenience. Yet another purchased as an upgrade from M800.

The assumption is there is no budget constraints.

So, no budget limitations, will your friend go for ANHC or Jazz & would you you go for Verna/ANHC/Linea or i20 ?

greatpower · 17th July 2009, 19:03

If it is a fully loaded (i.e. no constraints on budget) sedan, then ofcourse I will choose a sedan in India. So far in India, only of couple of sedans offer so many goodies as offered in a loaded sedan.

Caramelo · 17th July 2009, 19:39

a good and very interesting thread i must say.
what i will say is that. since the beginning cars were and still are built in sedan form.
its the most popular form or shape of a 4 wheel passenger vehicle. take for example

BMW 3 series sedan they give you a boot. rear wheel drive and you get a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. i dont wanna prove any scientific points or stuff like that. but you get a more balanced vehicle which is in form of a sedan. also if a trailer or lorry, truck whatever crashes into you from behind you have that structure which absorbs potential intrusions into the cabin and absorbs all the forces of the crash.

so sedans are more safer than hatches! i am talking in general terms.

premium hatches like i20 give you 6 airbags, 4 wheel disc brakes, abs etc. which sedans also give you but to match that exact safety features you will have to
go in for more than what you planned to spend. so my vote goes for sedan if matches on most of the safety features when compared to a hatch.

on looks and style. sedan tend to get boring after some time. but some hatches still rule the heart. like the swift for example.

Indian mentality of owning a bigger car will never go away until 2020 lolz. we are still a developing country and people have aspirations of getting a big car. i personally don't care but people it seems have an image prob in our country. no offense sedan owners!! but that's how it is.

now hatches-- hatchbacks have been in India for since days of 800. hatches made possible for people to own a car. a small dream realized. slowly as India developed and the economy developed. people demanded more from hatches. and the hatch evolution began. 800 to santro to wagon r then swift. you know and so on!!. so this is completely evolutionary market. which changes according to needs and demands of the people. and we have reached into a beginning of a more mature phase i think!

StarVegabond · 17th July 2009, 19:49

Hi,

I prefer not to vote for one of the given two options. the reason is i would prefer different cars for different needs.

For Business Work : Sedan as it is very business like, chauffer driven, would help in travelling with the client/professional contracts etc. (e.g. FORD, Honda, Toyota, Merc etc)

For fun drives within city: Hatchback as zipping through city traffic is easy, finding a parking space is easier, i have a small family of myself, wife and daughter so hatch back is good enough. (e.g. Jaaz, Grande Punto, Ritz, Vista etc)

For long drives with my small family: Sedan as i would prefer the cabin to be free of clutter/luggage and sedan would be more comfortable than hatchback for extended drives.

For Long drives with extended family: if i need to travel with my parents or in-laws or other relatives, i would prefer to have an Innova (that is only MUV vehicle i trust as of now in India).

If i have to buy a car for my wife: good hatchback, easyer to drive in city

If I have to buy a car for my daughter: She is currently 7, i would prefer to buy her a Tata Nano (Hybrid) when she truns 18 years old. Hopefully tata would bring out Hybrid Nano in next 11 years.

If I have to gift a car for my parents : Low maintenance, good fuel efficiency sedan which is chauffer driven.

finneyp · 17th July 2009, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by VahanPujari

The assumption is there is no budget constraint. Now what will you choose?

If there is no budget constraint (did I win a lottery

), I would go for a fully loaded sedan.

amit · 17th July 2009, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by VahanPujari

The assumption is there is no budget constraints.

So, no budget limitations, will your friend go for ANHC or Jazz & would you you go for Verna/ANHC/Linea or i20 ?

Let me introduce a few more contenders.

It's 2012. You can buy a Fiat Bravo 1.6L MJD 120bhp for 9.5Lakhs or a Linea with the same engine. A Jazz 1.5L 110bhp or a ANHC 1.5L 125bhp. A VW Golf 1.4L TSI or a Verna 1.6L VTVT. A 1.4L T-Jet 120bhp Punto for 8.20Lakhs or a Fiesta 1.6L 110bhp.

Better premium hatcbacks are on their way, it's just a matter of time. Let's remember that this is a new segment for India and manufacturer's (Fiat, Hyundai and Honda) are rightly playing safe right now. As the buyer's mature and start seeing the benefits of hatchbacks over sedan's, we will see more powerful hatchback's with class leading safety features that will equal sedans.

I have a feeling that premium hatchbacks are the future in India. Thanks to congested cities more and more people are going to buy premium hatchbacks over sedans. India seems to be moving in the Euro way.

MileCruncher · 17th July 2009, 20:46

If i have only my nuclear family to transport (husband, wife and may be small kids) then I'll go for a hatchback.

If I have a slightly extended family, I'll go for a sedan.\

Ohh BTW all the above is if I like going on long journeys and trips. If I'm a plain jane city dweller then its only Hatch.

OT: I some how don't get along very well with Sedans. My first one ( it was a Jaguar

) got banged on bumper on the first day itself. I prefer hatches or estates.

Protruding backsides isn't exactly my cuppa tea.

confusedguy · 17th July 2009, 21:09

I think the question should really be "fully loaded hatch or entry level sedan for around the same price?" Thats the dilemma i faced, but i finally chose the i20. Mostly because I figured I didnt need a big boot anyway, i'd rather enjoy the features on the i20.

rohitv122 · 17th July 2009, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by confusedguy

I think the question should really be "fully loaded hatch or entry level sedan for around the same price?" Thats the dilemma i faced, but i finally chose the i20. Mostly because I figured I didnt need a big boot anyway, i'd rather enjoy the features on the i20.

Completely.
See the numbers on the votes, its a skeptical.
For eg.
QUICK! THINK ABOUT A COLOR AND A TOOL!

For almost everyone its gonna be
A Red Hammer.

To be on the track...i20 is the best possible choice...if you have money then buy with a 1.4 litre.
Its fun buying this car as compared to the usual lengthy beast unless its a merc or equivalent.

View Poll Results: Premium Hatch Vs Fully-Loaded Sedan - Which one do you choose?
Premium Hatch	80	40.82%
Fully-Loaded Sedan	116	59.18%
Voters: 196. You may not vote on this poll

17th July 2009, 17:17	#33
Ramsagar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: BLR_Nellore(AP) Posts: 1,396 Thanked: 252 Times View My Garage	Voted for Sedan:At times I personally feel,waste of spending 6-7.9L for a hatch,instead better go for a used sedan.that what I'm doing now. No offense.
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 18:34	#35
marathp BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 138 Thanked: 35 Times	I am actually going through the same dilemma. With a decent budget I am still contemplating on premium hatch or sedan. I felt even though the features are excellent, current premium hatches still lacks the space of a good sedan say Linea or SX4. If there is a hatchback which provides the space of SX4 or Linea in India, I will definitely go for it. Boot, I still can live without. So I feel it is not about Sedan or Hatchback, its about individual needs. Some wanted Sedan feel, some others brand image and some others A.S.S so on and so forth
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 19:03	#38
greatpower BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 118 Thanked: 4 Times	If it is a fully loaded (i.e. no constraints on budget) sedan, then ofcourse I will choose a sedan in India. So far in India, only of couple of sedans offer so many goodies as offered in a loaded sedan.
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 19:39	#39
Caramelo BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: ahmedabad Posts: 769 Thanked: 16 Times	a good and very interesting thread i must say. what i will say is that. since the beginning cars were and still are built in sedan form. its the most popular form or shape of a 4 wheel passenger vehicle. take for example BMW 3 series sedan they give you a boot. rear wheel drive and you get a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. i dont wanna prove any scientific points or stuff like that. but you get a more balanced vehicle which is in form of a sedan. also if a trailer or lorry, truck whatever crashes into you from behind you have that structure which absorbs potential intrusions into the cabin and absorbs all the forces of the crash. so sedans are more safer than hatches! i am talking in general terms. premium hatches like i20 give you 6 airbags, 4 wheel disc brakes, abs etc. which sedans also give you but to match that exact safety features you will have to go in for more than what you planned to spend. so my vote goes for sedan if matches on most of the safety features when compared to a hatch. on looks and style. sedan tend to get boring after some time. but some hatches still rule the heart. like the swift for example. Indian mentality of owning a bigger car will never go away until 2020 lolz. we are still a developing country and people have aspirations of getting a big car. i personally don't care but people it seems have an image prob in our country. no offense sedan owners!! but that's how it is. now hatches-- hatchbacks have been in India for since days of 800. hatches made possible for people to own a car. a small dream realized. slowly as India developed and the economy developed. people demanded more from hatches. and the hatch evolution began. 800 to santro to wagon r then swift. you know and so on!!. so this is completely evolutionary market. which changes according to needs and demands of the people. and we have reached into a beginning of a more mature phase i think! Last edited by Caramelo : 17th July 2009 at 19:42.
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 19:49	#40
StarVegabond Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,891 Thanked: 42 Times	Hi, I prefer not to vote for one of the given two options. the reason is i would prefer different cars for different needs. For Business Work : Sedan as it is very business like, chauffer driven, would help in travelling with the client/professional contracts etc. (e.g. FORD, Honda, Toyota, Merc etc) For fun drives within city: Hatchback as zipping through city traffic is easy, finding a parking space is easier, i have a small family of myself, wife and daughter so hatch back is good enough. (e.g. Jaaz, Grande Punto, Ritz, Vista etc) For long drives with my small family: Sedan as i would prefer the cabin to be free of clutter/luggage and sedan would be more comfortable than hatchback for extended drives. For Long drives with extended family: if i need to travel with my parents or in-laws or other relatives, i would prefer to have an Innova (that is only MUV vehicle i trust as of now in India). If i have to buy a car for my wife: good hatchback, easyer to drive in city If I have to buy a car for my daughter: She is currently 7, i would prefer to buy her a Tata Nano (Hybrid) when she truns 18 years old. Hopefully tata would bring out Hybrid Nano in next 11 years. If I have to gift a car for my parents : Low maintenance, good fuel efficiency sedan which is chauffer driven.
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 20:46	#43
MileCruncher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: MH01 Posts: 4,235 Thanked: 589 Times View My Garage	If i have only my nuclear family to transport (husband, wife and may be small kids) then I'll go for a hatchback. If I have a slightly extended family, I'll go for a sedan.\ Ohh BTW all the above is if I like going on long journeys and trips. If I'm a plain jane city dweller then its only Hatch. OT: I some how don't get along very well with Sedans. My first one ( it was a Jaguar ) got banged on bumper on the first day itself. I prefer hatches or estates. Protruding backsides isn't exactly my cuppa tea.
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 21:09	#44
confusedguy BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 41 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	I think the question should really be "fully loaded hatch or entry level sedan for around the same price?" Thats the dilemma i faced, but i finally chose the i20. Mostly because I figured I didnt need a big boot anyway, i'd rather enjoy the features on the i20.
	() Thanks