February witnessed the launch of quite a few cars after the car sales got the wind back in their sails. So, like every month we pick three cars each who managed to go high on the sales charts and those who slipped lower.
Highs
The Honda City has reclaimed its crown from the Maruti Ciaz and by a comfortable margin. The C-segment sedan has received its mid-life update in the last month itself and despite the high pricing has managed to sell at least 500 more cars than its closest rival. Seems like from the C-segment, the perception of quality is more important than maintenance.
Hyundai Grand i10
This puny little hatchback from Hyundai has been instrumental in making Hyundai a formidable player. Consistently selling more than 10,000 units a month, the Grand i10 makes it to the winners list for going past India’s one of the most favourite hatch – the Swift. The Grandi10 has been updated with new engines and equipment making it much better than before.
Ford introduced the sub-four metre SUV concept in India and the EcoSport was an instant hit. The American car maker though is still suffering from its yesteryear high maintenance image. The new Fords are not expensive to maintain and the ad campaign to convey that seems to be working with the sales of the EcoSport climbing steadily over the last two months.
Lows
Chevrolet Sail U-VA
Chevrolet should pull the plug on the Sail U-VA, the hatchback. Though the car is not really bad, the lack of after sales support has hurt the American brand especially in the budget segments. The low volumes have now hit almost he rock bottom with the sail hatch selling only one unit in the month of February.
Maruti Baleno
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno started slowly but eventually grew in stature to become the bestselling premium hatchback of the country beating the Hyundai Elite i20. But then, sales of the Baleno haven’t been truly consistent and this month, the sales have dipped by more than a third. But then, now with the arrival of the Baleno RS, things might change.
Toyota Corolla Altis
The Toyota Corolla Altis has been one of the mainstays of the Toyota scheme of the things in India. Over the years, like all Toyota cars, the price tag of the Altis has been continuously bloating making it rather expensive over time. The effects are being seen on the sales figures because for that price you get crossover SUVs with much more equipment.
