[ash22]

-Hatchback segment will never collapse. That too in a market like India where still people get Maruti as their first car (Maruti is still the king of entry level hatchbacks)
- As said by other members, Hatchback segment might get different variations like, Premium hatchback / entry level hatchback / hatchback with tall-boy stance etc..

[Joe367]

Compact hatchbacks are dying in India. Hatchbacks aren't dying. They're just rebranded in our country as "Compact SUV's". If Citroen says their c3 is a hatchback then everything from tata punch to MS Brezza should be also considered as hatchbacks. 😅

[no_boundaries]

Voted No.

In my opinion hatchback is still the value for money segment as compared to these pseudo sedans and SUVs that are pushing 20L for absolutely no worth.

I believe the notion of decline is due to the lack of good options in the segment that brings a good performing engine and a safe build with reliable after sales. The car makers in the hatchback segment are catering only to 1 or 2 of these aspects today and that too barely.

The progression should have been engines from the segment above to be introduced in the lower segment (1.2 / 1.5 4 cylinders NA and TC engines) with good backing in terms of safety and reliability.

The footprint of the hatchback is just perfect for our urban Indian conditions. I do agree, the Alto / Kwid if not built to achieve at least 4 star rating safety, must certainly be pulled out of the market.

[srh]

In reality, the pseudo SUVs we have in our market are just jacked up hatchbacks. You look at the Grand i10 Nios side by side with the Exter, you realize that its just the top hat that differs. Similar for a Tiago placed side by side with a Punch or a Nexon placed side by side with the Bolt/ Zest. The OEMs are effectively milking customers by pricing the pseudo SUVs much higher than the hatchbacks. Hopefully the waiting times will diminish, supply will catch up with demand and there will be a return of pricing pressure on the OEMs.

[S.MJet]

No doubt SUVs are popular and gaining market share, but if we take out Alto, Kwid, etc from total hatchback sales, rest are pretty much strong and are likely to stay strong.
And IMO main reason is their affordability. With every passing day SUVs are proportionally getting much more expensive than hatchbacks.

[Love4Cars]

Apart from increasing disposable incomes, another reason is the rising prices of the hatchbacks as well. In earlier days there was a clear demarcation of prices between a hatchback, a sedan, an MUV and an SUV. Today, the segments defined by these body styles have merged in terms of pricing.
Swift /i20/ Baleno costing 10 Lacs, Wagon R costing 8 Lacs. With new cars like Exter, Punch consumers have options to buy an SUV (even if so called) at the same price of hatchbacks.

Hence, logically with our Indian Road conditions, better road presence/ visibility, these crossover SUVs make more sense if someone is buying a 2nd car or in many cases their 1st car as well (as price difference in EMI terms is negligible).

[VellVector]

Originally Posted by Axe77

In a world where a WagonR is a (tall boy) hatch back, albeit still a hatch back, we call vehicles like Nexon, Fronx, Venue, Sonet, Punch etc “SUVs”.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Let’s leave the bull shitting to the marketing departments and call a spade a spade at least here. Vehicles like Punch, Exter, Fronx, Nexon, Venue, Sonet, Magnite, XUV300 etc are all hatchbacks.

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

They happily buy a Venue over an i20 because the former is taller and called a SUV by the manufacture, while the reality being i20 is wider and more spacious than the venue.

As many have said - most hatchbacks today have been conveniently labelled something else and are being sold in larger volumes than ever.

So to be clear the hatchback segment is not dying - the top four highest selling cars of Jan-24 are all basically hatchbacks. It is the entry level (A1) category of hatchbacks where Maruti used to be the undisputed champion which is dying. And the main reason is clear - the entry level pricing has become way too high. Todays shopper seems to either have been cut off from entering the new car market or has the means to jump to the next level of car.

[FAIAAA]

Voted No
1. Entry level cars will stay as they are affordable - cheap, efficient and practical. This is and will remain hatchback territory.
2. Definitions are fluid - Ignis at 180 mm GC is a hatchback while Exter with 185 mm GC is called an SUV!
3. Seen this way, most of the sub 4M crossovers are hatchbacks on stilts. Club them and this is a growing segment.

[subramak]

Originally Posted by Ajay_Sensei

I don't think the segment is dying, but the numbers are settling to a lower level as the Indian PV market matures. With growing incomes, the market has moved away from small cars. Hence their share has come down. However, they will always have a demand in crowded urban environments.

The only challenge I see is that our car sales are not anywhere close to our population(Thank God for small mercies). However people who buy a two wheeler today should ideally graduate to a hatchback in 7 years but that doesnt seem to be happening. Not sure why.

[Pam81]

Personally and while talking to like minded people, I see there're benefits of SUV style hatches for elevated driving position and bit more forgiving of potholes and uneven road patches. Eastern Pune roads are notorious for crater like patches and stones (Tipper courtesy). Even at moderate speeds, not possible to brake every time when you encounter the road patch. I still drive 12 years old i20, though it is good, but there's second of hesitation when I encounter such patches. I am not really sure if Punch / Venue are any better. Probably, CRETA / SELTOS / TAIGUN type of vehicles are moderately better due to increased kerb weight with thicker suspension arms & bit heavier coil springs than hatches.

[Amrit@wheels]

Hatchbacks aren't dying, they are just getting raised and relabeled as SUVs and getting sold for much higher prices.

[SoumenD]

Hatchbacks aren't going anywhere just the traditional shape and height is changing. S-presso, Exter, Punch will be replacing Alto,Swift/i10 & Tiago eventually if things continue the way it is. Yeah manufacturers market them as SUVs because that's what sells in our market. SUV tag and sunroof.

I have a Jazz CVT which in terms of space & usable features is probably as good as any CSUV out there but these hatchbacks have a low GC(same issue with i20/baleno). Once or twice a year inspite of being super careful we do tend to hit the underbody in some unscientific speed breaker or some bad pothole.

[DicKy]

A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume.

While early examples of the body configuration can be traced to the 1930s, the Merriam-Webster dictionary dates the term itself to 1970. The hatchback body style has been marketed worldwide on cars ranging in size from superminis to small family cars, as well as executive cars and some sports cars. They are a primary component of sport utility vehicles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatchback

To my eyes, most of the SUVs sold in India are just tallboy hatchbacks that has high set bonnets, generous cladding and ground clearance for our road conditions. Can't see any problem with that. Heck, Toyota even calls the mighty Landcruiser SUV as a stationwagon in some media, because technically it is.

About decreasing hatchback sales. Yes, they are going down as people prefer the high riding models that are sold under the marketing term of SUVs. At the same time, I do believe that removing the sub 4m norms will give a boost to the higher end of the hatchback segment. It will become much easier for models like the Honda City hatchback to enter the market. Right now it is just the Baleno, Altroz and i20.

Originally Posted by Axe77

In a world where a WagonR is a (tall boy) hatch back, albeit still a hatch back, we call vehicles like Nexon, Fronx, Venue, Sonet, Punch etc “SUVs”.

Pretty sad that there are no real rivals to the WagonR.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Hatchbacks aren't going anywhere just the traditional shape and height is changing. S-presso, Exter, Punch will be replacing Alto,Swift/i10 & Tiago

Reason why TATA seems to be drag its feet for a next gen Tiago.

Also, with the low Spresso sales and the fact that the present Alto K10 seems for all purpose and intent same as Spresso except for the high bonnet means I am pretty sure there will not be a 2nd gen Spresso but the next gen Alto will slowly change into an Spresso with Alto badge.

[RiderS]

In my opinion YES,

I believe it's mainly due to the increase in model's availability segment wise.

Hatchbacks are more of city commuters nowadays, for long rides people are more inclined to bigger cars for comfortable seating, higher ground clearance and obviously more safety features compared to small hatchbacks it is nothing but a mini-SUV. All this we can get with slight increase in budget not wide difference.

Also, the marketing approach by putting the tag mini-SUV.

[Freespirit27]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Let’s leave the bull shitting to the marketing departments and call a spade a spade at least here. Vehicles like Punch, Exter, Fronx, Nexon, Venue, Sonet, Magnite, XUV300 etc are all hatchbacks.

The hatchback segment is not dying. It is evolving, and it is thriving. Never before has the hatchback segment been so diverse, spread across such a wide price range, so competent and also so cut throat competitive.

Marketing teams will have the audacity to call even the SPresso an SUV, and the boffins at Maruti will proudly claim to be the largest SUV maker in the country. It’s their job to fool us. It’s on us to not let them insult our intelligence. Certainly not on this forum.

If a 20L rupee Scorpio and a 2.5crore rupee GLS can both be SUVs, if a 17L rupee Verna and a 2cr S Class can both be sedans, why is the word hatchback used selectively for only the cheap and ultra basic cars? How will they spin something like a Golf or a Mini Cooper? They are also hatchbacks!

Precisely! The day government drops the sub 4m category, this entire concept will be tossed into the bin by the marketing.

To call an Espresso or a Punch or an Exter or even the MGs and Kias an SUV is a joke. Their offroading or motorsport capabilities are limited to potholed roads and expressway cruising.
The CSUV segment actually should be merged into the hatchback as far as total sale numbers go. Only the true blue Jeep/ Thar etc upwards should be considered in SUV segment.