Indian Car Sales Figures - October 2010

October 2010 Sales Figures - Pan India

This has been a great month for Automobile manufacturers. With festival season around (Dussehra & Diwali), there is expectation of surge in demand. 

Alto has proved again that it is here to stay at the top spot for long and K10 sales has just added to the celebrations!! The tallboy Wagon-R proves again that practicality is what the Indians want. The i10 again heralds the flag for Hyundai and the refreshed version stands to its name. Aria has done pretty decent numbers in its opening month. Fabia's sales have increased three fold - now that's fab !!Swift has proved again as an undisputed leader in the hatchback category. The cheapest Ford in the world - Figo is also consistently performing well. Cruze has cruised a long way to ward off competition from Civic and Corolla. 

Fortuner seems to change the fortune of Toyota in the premium SUV space (the car has already a waiting period of six months and still seems to increase more in near future!!). Innova has always proved to be a Innovative winner in the MUV space and still stands a difficult nut to crack for Aria. Scorpio is one product that has evolved as a category of its own and stands no competition. Bolero presents an excellent case to display how an entry level SUV can overcome the sales numbers of a hatch (Bolero has sold more than Figo!!) and thus stands to be the best product for Mahindra. City vents out the competition from Vento and is still doing good numbers. 

Source: All thanks to the guys in Team-BHP for the figures. For a much in-depth overview please click on the link - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/91499-october-2010-indian-car-sales-figures.html

P.S. : The sales numbers indicated here are not Retail volumes (i.e Dealer to customer) but are Wholesale figures (manufacturer to dealer)   

Stallio - Jaan Hai, Shaan Hai aur Itminaan bhi !!!

The creative team of Mahindra 2 wheelers would have brainstormed on how to make their advertisement innovative yet different from the rest. We all remember how Bajaj & Hero Honda primarily focus on stunts and out-of-reality biking scenes in their ads. So, Mahindra 2 wheelers thought why focus on fiction / stunts - when customers of this segment (110 cc) want something utilitarian at the same time with aspirational appeal.

Hence the resultant advertisement - although mockery of Karizma, Pulsar & CBZ Extreme has been done; but have also bought in some comedy and fun factor attached to it. A simple display of its features is also done, like - 

• Styled in Italy
• ProTouch Electric Start
• Full Digital Display
• LED Tail Lamp

I wouldn't rate the creatives of Mahindra 2 wheelers very high. Although they have shot the ad keeping the target segment in mind, the focus isn't clear in the message. However, Amir Khan's presence would make the ad much noticable. 

The Ad:

Etios All the Way... "Revolutionizing Quality"

                                  Toyota: Trying to reign the future of Indian Automobile Market

Toyota has always dominated the space it existed. Be it the premium sedan category with Corolla or the MUV space with Innova. Even its unexpected success child Fortuner has created a niche for itself; with a waiting period of almost 6 months - it has just altered the way Industry works. No-one ever saw such a huge demand for a 20-odd lakh SUV (which was already dominated by the likes of Captiva, Fortuner and CR-V). Although its Camry didn't do great numbers, still it has a own fan following.

Along the years; Toyota has carved an unique recognition for itself - QUALITY. This is something that infuses fear amongst its competitors. Toyota has the potential to hit big in the market. And I say Toyota has taken a well thought-out strategy; i.e. understood the market well, created a name for itself, built a whole bunch of well-established dealers and most important of all - tuned itself according to the market requirements.

Now is the time Toyota needs to strike hard and without any flaw!!! They need to be well prepared for a long-run in this ever competitive mass market (which has the presence of the mighty Maruti to VW; from emerging Ford to reigning Hyundai). Toyota with its agency Dentsu has launched its communication of Q Promise. The most vital link in the Etios gameplan is the Toyota dealer. The company has raised the number of dealers from 40 to 60 and the number of sale and service points from 82 to 150 in the last two years. 


Toyota has a great time till now. The conversion of footfalls in Toyota dealerships is 32 per cent, way above the industry average of 20 per cent. It is due to the rigorous training of the Manpower - "Training is done to everybody in the dealership, even the doorman and the also attendant who serves tea!!". Toyota spent the whole of 2007 researching the Indian market. Teams met different customers groups: Young people, old, single, married etc. Dealers were taken on board to get their feedback. In early 2008, Toyota finally said it would go ahead with the car. Since then, Narita Ke, the chief engineer of the Etios, has made innumerable trips to India, and lived with families here to understand their habits and needs. He observed, for instance, that all Indians are in a hurry to take off as soon as the traffic signal turns green; they therefore need that additional pick up. Similarly, a car has to be easy to park. Indians often accommodate three passengers on the back seat; so it is essential to give good comfort towards the rear of the car. The Etios, which has been developed in Japan, will “give a very good driving experience, very good space, high ground clearance and best-in-class fuel efficiency,” says Singh.

And recently Toyota Kirloskar Motor has roped in musician A R Rahman as its Brand Ambassador. Commenting on the signing up of Rahman, TKM Managing Director Hiroshi Nakagawa said: "There is a very strong connect between the product and its brand ambassador, with both being, 'global', 'innovative', 'reliable', and a 'class- above quality'." On his association with Toyota, Rahman said: "I believe real quality is created when skill meets dedication, when insight meets inspiration, when passion meets perfection. This is why I am happy to be associated with Toyota. The same values drive Toyota in whatever they do."

Toyota has a lot in stakes with this product. they have indigeniously designed Etios keeping the Indian market in mind - pretty evident from the Etios logo!! The Sedan is all ready to be launched on December this year and the hatchback by March'2011. While Toyota is unraveling its intentions; we auto enthusiasts can just wait and hope for the best J
source: business standard
            wheelsunplugged

Indian Car Sales Figures - September 2010

September Sales Figures - Pan India

source: team-bhp

Mahindra Mojo & Stallio : Breaking the ice for Mahindra 2 wheelers into the Indian motorcycle segment

The segment which was always dominated by the Bajaj’s and the Munjal’s saw the entry of another Indian Business House – Mahindra’s!!! Mahindra’s foray into the 2-wheeler segment was like a whirlwind. Firstly Mahindra bought an Italian Engine and Design boutique firm Engines Engineering in 2008, and later acquired Kinetic Engineering Limited’s two wheeler business which displayed Mahindra’s seriousness in 2-wheelers business. Even their Mojo has been inspired from Malaguti MR250 (Design of Engines Engineering).

World class Italian design, raw power, adrenaline and speed. India’s bikers can look forward to all this and much more as Mahindra 2 Wheelers’ Stallio and Mojo motorcycles made their debut at a high voltage launch in Mumbai on September 30.

The Two Wheeler Sector of Mahindra aims to design and market a full range of scooters and motorcycles for the Indian and global markets, thus establishing a robust and end-to-end two-wheeler business in every segment of the industry.


“In the last twelve months Mahindra 2 Wheelers has achieved a milestone by registering a sale of 1.5 lac units – a clear validation of the success of our niche PowerScooters strategy. We are now all geared up to redefine the biking experience in India with the Stallio and the Mojo which are a potent blend of global technology and innovation and will take the category to the next level,” said Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group.

Specifications:

Ø  Available in two variants - priced at Rs 44,699/- for cast alloy wheels with self start, fully digital console & Rs 41,199/- for spoke wheels with kick start (ex showroom Pune)

Ø  4 years manufacturer’s warranty                                                                        

Ø  Biking can now be fun-filled and stylish - offers features that add to style thereby creating a new niche  

Ø  Multimedia marketing campaign featuring Aamir Khan     

Ø  Available in Derby Red, Colt Black, Equus Blue,  Buckskin Yellow & Ranch Green

Ø  Handcrafted, one of its kind                                                                                                             

Ø  Priced at Rs 1.75 lakh (ex showroom Pune)

Ø  Blends cool retro styling with best of global technology & design - 4 Valve  DOHC 300 cc power plant                                                                                    

Ø  Sports aerodynamic ‘tear drop’ shape and a classic gold frame assembly with twin headlamps                                           

Ø  Leading European vendors – Ducati Energia, Paioli & Pirelli (Italy), J Juan (Spain) – contribute to the making of the Mojo

Available in red and black with decal customisation options 

Suzuki Swift: All set to become more Aspirational !!!

Maruti Suzuki is all set to bring their new edition of Swift in the early 2011. Maruti was facing a tough time before Swift's presence. Swift gave Maruti a stronghold in B-segment and recently has even made itself the most Aspirational Car in the category (Frost & Sullivan Award).   

Maruti Suzuki Swift has become a truly global vehicle. It is built with typical Japanese precision, attention to detail, tested for unique Indian road conditions and customer requirements. Maruti Suzuki Swift is an example of the growing recognition for Indian intellectual and engineering capabilities. Maruti Suzuki's R&D capability, evident time and again in its efforts to upgrade existing models, has attained a new definition with Maruti Suzuki Swift. 

With time, Suzuki has decided to evolve this leading sports compact car and make it more aspirational. Hence, the all new Suzuki Swift - This is turning out to be one of the most anticipated cars of 2011. Now as far as its looks are concerned, one thing that can be said with certain amount of confidence is that it has a tad bit more space than its predecessor, at the very outset it certainly looks more gorgeous.  And its rear end is just shouting “different” “different” !!!

And Suzuki has also launched a new campaign - "I'm your fan" in  Europe. That's the proud statement by everyone who has experienced the new leading sports compact. It's revolving around people who are into modern design, ecology-minded, and looking for an exhilaratingly dynamic driving-experience.

The business of movies...

The box-office collections of Hollywood’s Avatar and Bollywood’s 3 idiots caught a lot of attention last year. Even the profits of big enterprises looked tiny in front of business these movies had made. They were a perfect example of how profitable entertainment industry is!!!

Many companies grew in last 5 years which had ventured into movie-making. UTV saw excellent performance of its movies and was the biggest winner in this time. Even India’s one of the biggest conglomerates – Reliance jumped into movie production and distribution. Eros International plc did pretty fine. Many giants also launched their IPO’s. Our very own Big Cinemas is all set to venture into Hollywood!!!

Movie-making is primarily a risky business. Though it can reap profit of multitude times within a short period of investment; it can also wash away all your investment. The trend these days is to create a huge hype around the movie and try to garner as much collection possible within the first week of the release of the movie. Nowadays a movie is christened hit/flop based on the first week collection itself.

This makes it extremely necessary for the production companies to plan and execute extensive marketing activities right from creating intuitive teaser of the movie to generating controversy/hype among the fans. A lot of Reality shows are also benefitting from this trend as they get to invite stars into their shows and even provide them a platform to promote their movie.

The trailer of much-talked Hrithik/Aishwarya starrer is out. So, I thought what better time for this topic on movies. UTV produced, Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed saga promises to be different.. In the trailer atleast J

First Look-