Top carmakers led by Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Kia India on Saturday reported record sales in the domestic market riding on festive demand boosted by GST rate cut. Other manufacturers such as Skoda Auto India and Toyota Kirloskar Motor also posted impressive growth in sales in October.
First-time buyers of cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have made a comeback, shows last year's data from top passenger vehicle (PV) makers. If the trend persists, it may move the needle on the overall car penetration ratio. India's car penetration ratio is 32 per 1,000 people - one of the lowest, compared to mature car markets like the US and Europe.
The country's biggest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, has raised concerns about the continuing slide in small car sales.
Major Indian carmakers are preparing for sluggish domestic PV sales growth of just 1-2 per cent in FY26.
The four-wheeler appears costlier than it is.
The hatch competes with cars such as Maruti Alto and Hyundai i10.
The update to the Tata Nano makes it a more appealing package.
The entry-level car, under the popular Datsun brand, is aimed at tapping the first-time car buyers.
'The Triber, which sits between the Kwid and the Duster in the Renault portfolio, is an affordable option for those who have their sights set on a multipurpose vehicle and want to get something different from, say, a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga,' says Pavan Lall.
Even as good days continue to elude the economy at large, they seem to have arrived for Maruti Suzuki.
The demand from second-time car buyers outstrips the demand from those seeking to upgrade themselves from two-wheelers. Tata Motors' city dealers say about 60 per cent of all Nano buyers are those who already own a car and the rest 40 per cent are those who either own a two-wheeler or have never owned a vehicle earlier.
'Online aggregators offer discounts of 70% to 75%.' 'At a car dealership, the discount is usually in the range of 30% to 35%.'
The SUV launch also marks the company's debut into the petrol segment
The car is expected to hit the road on October 23 and is being launched as Hyundai celebrates two decades in the country. Industry sources say that it will be priced at Rs 3,70,000 to stay competitive with its biggest competitors, Tata Tiago and Maruti Suzuki Celerio.
Operating margins decline to 10.3% in March quarter on one-time payouts but may recover to 12% in FY2015.
Manufacturer Nissan plans to get aggressive with brand communication and increase the number of customer touchpoints through showrooms, experience zones and other initiatives.
Besides the car's price, fuel efficiency is of utmost importance for buyers as it's a long time recurring expense.
Every three minutes, in some corner of the country, two Altos are being sold.
The new Honda Amaze breaks free from its Brio moorings, and is designed to wow, says Rajesh Karkera.
With Nexa, the value-for-money mass-market car maker hopes to attract premium buyers. Sangeeta Tanwar reports.
While retail sales at dealerships have suffered the full impact of demonetisation, the growth in wholesale volumes comes as dealers had relatively lower inventory after Diwali in October.
The company is currently selling an average 2,000 units each month.
The 1.0-litre Hyundai Eon takes on the Japanese rivals in its segment, the Datsun GO and the Maruti Alto K10.
Ghosn's partnership with motorcycle and auto-rickshaw maker Bajaj Auto got most publicity.
This is the safest Nano Tata has ever put into production.
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