With 2 biggest festivals that the
country celebrates (Dusshera & Diwali), the auto Industry couldn’t find a
respite from the falling numbers. Indian Government too provided its push by
reducing the fuel prices, yet the customer sentiments weren’t affected. Only
Maruti, Hyundai & Honda were able to post a positive Year-on-Year growth –
not to forget the slew of launches these OEM’s had in past one year. However,
the biggest beneficiary has been the Indian Consumer with many options in EVERY
segment that one can think of; and that too with the ever-best offers! But, the
question to ask is – in name of new launches, are the safety norms being
neglected. NCAP has asked Datsun to withdraw GO from the Indian market and the all-time
best selling hatchback Swift gets ZERO stars in the test? It is high time the
safety standards are given its due recognition by both Consumers & Auto
Manufacturers.
Maruti has some big launches with
the new Alto K10 – the cheapest automatic. The Alto family combinedly does over
21k units and emerges as the top selling brand of Oct’14. Dzire proves again by
posting ~18k units – the Indian’s love for compact sedans is undying and is
working well for OEM’s with products in the range. Ciaz does a mind-boggling 6144
shipments and overtakes City easily. Does Maruti finally make its impact in the
segment – the next 3 months would be crucial to understand the trend. The Hero
for Maruti has been the Gypsy with over 1k offtake – a Government bulk order in
the offering? The updated Swift was launched as well – but the NCAP tests related
to the carline made more news.
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| October 2014 Sales Figures - Pan India |
Hyundai makes the biggest leap
with multiple performers in the fold now. Indian Market surprises us yet again –
i20 clocking more numbers than the Grand i10? Yes, and that’s the uniqueness of
our market – we would not shy away from paying more price if the car is found
value-for-money. Eon does well by garnering ~7k units and also gain a YoY growth.
Tata has put everything now in
terms of gaining lost ground – Zest still remains vital for the OEM’s
existence. Yes, existence is a strong word – but that’s how the current
condition is. The company is slowly monitoring Zest’s performance to launch the
Bolt. The company’s effort to regain customer confidence is appreciable – and
the coming month’s would help us understand the acceptance of the OEM’s efforts
by the consumer.
The new Scorpio still lacks the
punch and feel of the earlier generation – YoY numbers signify degrowth of 3%.
But the new model has helped the Indian major retain its numbers for sure. Bolero
yet again delivers with over 9k units and the XUV performs as well. The company
is fighting hard for the 3rd slot and does it with style with over
5k units ahead of Honda. Can it sustain? – Depends on Honda J
Honda yet again displays its
inconsistency – 3.5k units for Amaze & 3k units for Mobilio is just not
justifiable. It is high time the OEM rationalizes its manufacturing and
marketing plan in such a fashion that it clocks the numbers CONSISTENTLY. Any
form of leniency can be found negative for the Japanese manufacturer.
A Look at the top 20 brands -
