Alto has been the bestseller in the Indian market for the ninth consecutive time. The 2013 sales figures state that Alto has been the largest selling car, but reports also state that sales have declined as a result of the sluggish economy that has taken some toll on the car’s fortunes.
As per sources, Alto has suffered around 7.3% dip in sales during the year, which followed a 7.8% decline in 2012. It is worth noting that it has been the second year in a row, when Alto sales have not been able to make way beyond the 300,000 unit mark. This clearly indicating that the new Alto 800, which was launched in mid-2012 has not met market expectations.
The next top 5 in the sales chart in terms of numbers has remained unchanged from 2012. The hatchback Swift leads the chart, its sedan version Dzire closely follows it, whereas the Wagon R and Mahindra Bolero have followed later on in that order. Given the sluggish nature of this automotive industry, the Swift Dzire grew the highest with a 28.5% growth even though it witnessed increase in the competition with the entry of Honda Amaze and Ford EcoSport.
The next in line hatchback that has taken a major setback is the Hyundai i10. The car suffered majorly owing to launch of Grand i10. The new version is said to have eaten up a considerable amount of sales from the elder sibbling. The car’s sales declined by 21% during the year. It is also said that, none amongst Hyundai model managed to grow its sales during the year, even though the Verna retained its position as the largest selling mid-size sedan.
It is also surprising to see that no Tata car has figured in the top 10 list. Coincidentally, this is also the first time ever that both the Indica and Nano suffered steep declines at 37% and 76% respectively. It also comes as a surprise that the world’s most affordable car does not even feature in the list for top 25 cars in India. Sources stated, the company is in desperate need of a make-over and the company Tata Motors has intended to working on this aspect in the coming time.
