November has been quite interesting in terms of overall car sales in India. While Maruti Suzuki is back on the growth path after the demand correction in October dispatches, Hyundai and Mahindra are yet to recover. Tata, on the other hand, has jumped up to third, even surpassing Honda in the process. So we have compiled a list of cars which fuelled the growth of their brand and the ones who just couldn’t get off the blocks.
Winners
Tata’s newest SUV and its first foray into the sub-four metre SUV segment seems to be working. Slowly but steadily, the Nexon has inched past 4,000 units a month within just a few months of its launch. Also, with the Tiago doing well, Tata has leapfrogged into the third place on the sales charts. But with its ageing portfolio, it needs new products if it wants to stay on its growth path.
Ford Ecopsort
The Ecosport has always been Ford’s star and the new Ecosport has continued the legacy. Contributing to more than half of the sales, the new Ecosport has registered over 5,000 units in its first month and is second only to the Vitara Brezza in its segment.
This is the third SUV in the winners list and this certainly can be a measure of their popularity in India. Despite Fiat’s limited outreach, Jeep sales are just shy of 3,000 units. With majority of the premium D-segment cars in three digits, this is FCA’s best chance to get back into the India game and create a solid platform for itself.
Losers
Renault’s star in India, the Duster, has hit troubled waters. And seemingly, the turbulence has been created by its own sibling, the Captur. While it was expected that the Captur would eat into the Creta pie, it seems that it has cannibalised into the Duster’s as well. Also, with the Kwid sales dwindling, Renault needs to refresh it sooner than expected.
All the jazz, chrome and borrowed bravado hasn’t really helped the S-Cross. At over 3,000 units, the S-Cross’ numbers are still quite respectable, but not by Maruti standards. It also tells us that crossover SUVs aren’t something that the Indian buyers want, especially with the availability of both options.
Mahindra KUV 100
Mahindra tried to breathe some life into the KUV100 with the NXT but it seems that hasn’t worked either. The Mahindra KUV100 started off as a disruptor but soon its fallacies got the better of it. With the KUV failing along with the TUV, it is still the Bolero and the Scorpio that double up as the wind in Mahindra’s sails.
