[sgoyal9]

I do not agree with the City and the Gloster.

City is a very very outdated car by today's standards and Honda is a diminishing presence in our country. Not only is it expensive but they are not very enthusiastic in sales either from my personal experience.

Gloster does not have the bulletproof build quality nor the brand of the Fortuner. It is a very upmarket car with smart features but with the high starting price and I would say too many variants, it is a non starter.
Like come on, it comes with a 159bhp engine for such a large and heavy car???

[Flechazo]

I would also like to add one more car- Tata Tigor. After owning one I can't think of why this doesn't sell much. Car is very spacious, boot space can easily fit luggage for 4 people. 3 average sized adults can actually sit in the back seat with enough shoulder room. Audio is one of the best in segment, looks handsome for a car of this type, and in 2023 when we got it, for on road of 9.3 lakhs for xz+, no car came close to this in terms of features, barring aura(we rejected due to looks and unknown safety). currently it sells like 2k per month. Premium hatchbacks can't match the vfm pricing it offers, and hatchbacks like Swift Tiago etc lack the rear space and boot space.

[Gargee]

Renault Kiger.

Though looks are subjective, Kiger has a good proportionate design, stylish curvy lines and sleek head lamps and DRLs. It has a good heft to it, though it is built to a cost. Interior surprisingly has loads of space for people as well as for a lot of small things. Kiger has comparable dimensions with cars like Brezza and Venue/Sonet, which are priced one level higher than Kiger. The Kiger RXZ model is feature loaded, especially for its price. Even the NA engine is ok to drive and it does not struggle even when fully loaded. Suspension is perfect and body roll is minimum. It has one of the highest ground clearance in its segment. Boot space is large at 405 litres and Renault has managed to carve out some space under the seats too. With 4 air bags and 4 star NCAP rating, it is a very safe car. At less than 11 lakhs on-road price for its RXZ model, it indeed offers a great value. With all this, don't really think the monthly sales figures of less than 1,000 units is justified, especially when compared with Brezza's 14,000, Venue/Sonet's 9,000 each and Fronx's 12,000. Clearly, Renault needs to do something about this.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by pjnayak64

So very true. I am a firm believer that the Indian auto market is slowly but surely becoming a buyers' market. With the range of vehicles available in the market, the buyer has a wider choice and is the final BOSS.
Also, still it is very price sensitive and is driven strongly by the gadgetry offered by the brand (useful or no is a different discussion altogether.)
The luxury brands are a glaring example. They have diluted their USPs, priced it higher with sky high maintenance costs and has lead to sluggish and flat sale figures.

The Indian market has always been a buyers market. There's a reason that Hyundai which came after Ford was a wild sucess while Ford had to shut down operations. Mind you Ford was A MAJOR PLAYER for years because they gave the buyer a smashing vfm product like the Icon, Ecosport and the Endy but then they lost touch with the market. Imagine a scaled up Ecosport to compete with the Creta in 2012! Instead we got one insipid launch after another. Kia did it's homework and is a great success, VAG group are still struggling (though they have done their homework in recent launches). Not just the auto market but from FMCG to hotels the Indian buyer has always made her preferences clear.

[pandabear]

The average Indian car buyer is completely no nonsense and the Indian car market is totally brutal.

If a car does not sell well, it means it's not a good package.

Unfortunately the bitter truth!

Majority buyers trusting Tatas and Mahindras more than Skodas and VWs does convey a story not captured in this forum.