Auto loan costs remain stubbornly high.
High price, combined with the decision to go only for diesel and position it as a crossover, resulted in its limited success
Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors on Thursday reported robust sales in March as a shift towards personal mobility and pent up demand continued to help companies push dispatches to their respective retail partners. Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Honda Cars and Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) also reported strong sales last month as compared to the year-ago period, when dispatches were adversely impacted due to the impending transition to BSVI from April 2020 and the nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India said its domestic sales stood at 1,49,518 units last month. The auto major had reported sales of 76,976 units in March 2020.
The list clearly shows the dominance of Maruti and Hyundai in the Indian passenger vehicle market.
Maruti's Alto retained the top position in June with 14,856 units, as against 15,750 units in June last year.
Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com got the chance to get behind the wheel of the KIA Seltos in rain-splattered Goa, and can't get over the experience.
Be it in terms of looks, features or safety, the Indian auto market is growing up
With fast changing mentality of the crowd here, the automakers are creating their own categories to attract more and more buyers.
It lacks the finesse of its direct rival, the Hyundai Creta, but otherwise it is fun to drive and power is in abundance too
M&M also saw its domestic passenger vehicle sales grow by 1 per cent, while Toyota Kirloskar Motor witnessed a decline in its PV sales.
Now, we have with us the Renault Captur which under the skin is a Duster but the company claims that the former is a more premium offering. So, is it? Time to find out.
India wasn't applying widespread crash testing like foreign countries do, so manufacturers didn't see the need for an investment focus on safety. Customers rarely walked into showrooms asking for the safest car. They wanted the cheapest or the most fuel-efficient or the best-looking car.
MSI in January increased prices by up to Rs 31,600.
While the share of diesel vehicles sales in the overall passenger car industry has already fallen sharply, sales of CNG vehicles have shown a compound annual growth rate of 15.5 per cent over the past five years.
Maruti Suzuki India continued its grip in the passenger vehicles market in India with five of its models in the top ten best selling models in June.
However, sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR, declined 7.9 per cent to 25,524 units from 27,712 in the year-ago month
The S-Cross will be available only in diesel engine options of 1.6 litre and 1.3 litre.
Demand for passenger vehicles has been driven by new models, especially in the SUV category with the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Creta clocking good numbers
Maruti's Alto retained the best-selling model tag in January with 22,998 units as against 21,462 in January 2016.
From Audi A8 to Honda Civic, here's what the auto industry has lined up in 2019.
Some of the notable models set to make a debut next year include the Tata Harrier, the Mahindra S201, the Kia SP Concept, MG Motors' Boujun 530, and the Honda HR-V.
Dealers have stocked up vehicles in the run-up to a price hike, which is expected to be announced by leading players some time this month.
It was only an exterior launch, not the actual car, but what he saw left Rediff.com's Rajesh Karkera hugely impressed.
A weaker rupee against the US dollar and the Japanese yen along with margin sustenance pressures have forced companies to raise prices.
Car sales are likely to grow further in November.
Reflecting the mood, passenger vehicle sales in November either remained muted or skidded for most manufacturers as high fuel prices and the higher cost of borrowing dampened buying sentiment.
Overall, we feel that the Hyundai Elantra is a very good car for people who aren't into aggressive driving but for those who want refinement and comfort along with a long list of features and a pleasant driving experience.
Various factors, including robust demand in rural markets and good response to new models, helped in driving the sales.
Maruti has announced it will phase out diesel variants from April 1, 2020, when stringent BS VI norms take effect
Sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz, Dzire and Baleno increased by 4.1 per cent to 50,362 units
Facing capacity constraint, firm is yet to take a call on setting up a new manufacturing unit in India.
Leading tyre maker Apollo also saw a production loss of 450 tonnes till December 2.
For players like Toyota Kirloskar and Ford, the contribution of UVs to overall sales is now well over 60%.
Reliance on a single model begins at about 40% and goes up to 80 % in case of some companies
Price is no longer king. Maruti now has a new strategy to score over rivals.
Maruti Suzuki India, country's largest carmaker on Thursday reported 3.7 per cent rise in total sales in September.
Right now, the 'Lower D' or LD segment -- which the industry defines as a sedan that costs between Rs 1.5 million and Rs 2 million, is longer than 4.5 metres, and powered by an engine of 1.8 litre or larger -- has barely three cars, all of which have been around for over a decade in India. Nevertheless, at least one foreign auto player is looking to bet big on the segment.
Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra and Toyota reported low single-digit sales growth for the month owing to weak market sentiment
The models from Hyundai and Maruti, which might go on sale in October 2018 and February 2019, respectively, are set to revive a segment that had lost sheen to the compact SUV segment, lately
Apart from the growing adoption of the internet in the country, brands are drawn to the agility of the medium, its targeted and data driven approach and the increasing cost of offline channels for sales and distribution.
