[Omkar]

The Indian car market is known to be diverse and even unpredictable at times. Many manufacturers struggle to get the right products to the market and end up incurring losses. Some manufacturers always have a hand on the pulse and can predict which product would work well and they reap the rewards. A balanced product lineup is extremely important for the Indian market and that’s what we’ll be discussing. Let's focus on the car manufacturers with the strongest and weakest lineup currently in India. Here’s my choice –

Strongest lineup

My vote goes to Tata Motors. In the past few years, Tata Motors has reinvented itself and brought in exciting new products that have been well-appreciated by the audience. Tata has been in a close battle with Hyundai for the #2 position in the Indian car market. Both these manufacturers are evenly matched and have some good cars in their portfolio. But I still think given the current scenario, Tata Motors has a more balanced and diverse portfolio. Here’s why.

Affordable Electric Vehicles: Tata’s EV portfolio is what sets it apart and, in a way, gives it an edge over its competitors. As of now, Tata has 4 EVs on sale – the Tiago EV, Tigor EV, Punch EV and the Nexon EV. This is more than any other manufacturer in the mass market segment. Moreover, there are a few more EVs that will be launched by next year, namely, Altroz EV, Harrier EV, Curvv EV and Sierra EV. These upcoming launches will further strengthen Tata’s monopoly in the EV market.



Diverse SUV portfolio: Over the years we’ve seen the SUV segment get split into different sections and Tata has made sure that they have a product in each category. The Punch is one of the most affordable SUVs and was also one of the highest-selling cars in India. Then you have the Nexon which is also a strong seller in the sub-4m SUV category. The Harrier and Safari also bring in good numbers and are crowd favourites despite not having a petrol engine or AWD.



Steady performers: The small cars in Tata’s portfolio like the Tiago, Tigor and Altroz may not be leading in the sales charts, but they are steady performers. They are also preferred in the lower segments thanks to their good safety ratings.



Multiple powertrains: The Harrier and Safari are offered with the fiat-sourced 2.0L diesel engine with manual (6MT) and automatic transmission (6AT) options. The Nexon gets a 1.2L turbo petrol engine with 3 transmission options – 6-speed MT, 6-speed AMT and 7-speed DCT. You also have a 1.5L diesel engine that’s offered with a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed AMT. The Altroz gets 3 engine options – a 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol (5-speed MT and 6-speed DCT), 1.2L turbo-charged petrol (5-speed MT) and a 1.5L diesel engine (5-speed MT). The Tiago, Tigor and Punch share the 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol engine which is offered with a 5-speed MT and AMT.

Apart from all these powertrains, Tata has also focused on CNG powertrains that are being appreciated by the customers. A key highlight of Tata CNG models is the twin-cylinder setup that frees up some space in the boot. Then recently, Tata also launched the CNG option with the Tiago and Tigor AMT making it the first of its kind. Of course, there are still some blanks to be filled in the lineup, but overall buyers have a wide range to choose from.



Wide price bracket: Another key aspect of the Tata lineup is the price range that it covers. The most affordable Tata car you can buy is the Tiago which starts at Rs. 5.65 lakh (ex-showroom). The Tata Safari which is the flagship model for Tata for now retails at Rs. 27.34 lakh (ex-showroom). This itself shows you that there’s something for everyone in this wide price range.

Weakest lineup

As much as it hurts, I have to say it’s Honda Cars India. Especially when you know what the company was at one point in time. Honda once had a very strong lineup of cars which were exciting and were bringing in good numbers for the company as well. Cars like the City, Civic, Accord and even the CR-V have a legit fan following.

However, today’s Honda is a shadow of its former self. Average monthly sales of Honda (all cars combined) are ~7,000 units which is half of what the Tata Nexon sells in a month. Look closely and it’s only the Elevate that’s doing decent numbers. The sales graph shows a downward trend for both City & Amaze with year-on-year drops of 58% and 33% respectively (March 2023-24). At this point, Honda has become a one-trick pony and needs to completely rethink their strategy for India to get out of the slump. Here are some of the reasons why I think things aren’t working out for Honda -

Not many SUVs in the portfolio: In today’s day and age, SUVs are everything. Not just in India, but globally as well. Even Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin have come out with SUVs. And Honda currently has just the one that was launched last year – Elevate. The crossover from Honda is a good product no doubt. But while it’s doing well for itself, the sales numbers have pretty much flatlined.


No global products for India: As of now, Honda doesn’t have a proper premium offering in their lineup. Honda has decent cars globally, but none of those have made it to India. Cars like the Civic, Accord, HR-V, CR-V and ZR-V are part of Honda’s global portfolio and could help the brand’s image in India.


Lack of powertrains: Honda has good hybrid options internationally, but those haven’t made it to India. We only get the City hybrid, but that’s also out of reach for most buyers. Also, most recently, Honda announced that the City Hybrid will be available in only one top-end trim. Apart from this, you have a 1.2-litre petrol engine on the Amaze and a 1.5 L i-VTEC petrol engine on the City and Elevate. The lack of a diesel engine further hampers the sales.


No electric vehicles: Honda's focus globally has been on hybrid cars. However given the wide acceptance of EVs in India, Honda should've brought in an EV from their international portfolio to get some boost in sales. In fact, the Honda e:Ny1 which is essentially a Chinese EV (Dongfeng) would've been a perfect car for India. It's about the same size as an Elevate and would just hit the sweet spot in the Indian EV market.


What do you think? Which manufacturer has the strongest lineup in India and who has the weakest? And why?

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[theAutomaniac]

As of now I think I'll agree that Tata has a really strong lineup. With Curvv and Sierra coming, the 4.3m SUV segment should also be covered.

Won't agree with Honda though. Yes the portfolio is weak, but at least it is enough to survive! Look at Nissan, Citroen, and Jeep, and you'll realize that the weak portfolio bar is really low.

Coming back to the strongest portfolio, I think Maruti will snatch back the strongest portfolio badge from Tata.

Tata lacks severely in budget cars with only one option. Secondly, the lack of hybrids is a major hindrance with Tata. With the EVX, EWX, and E-MPV coming by 2026, Maruti will have enough options for CNG, Petrol, and Electric cars, and will have 3 different type of hybrid techs in their portfolio! One for every budget.

What Tata also lacks in, is the lack of a lifestyle product like the Jimny, or a no-nonsense product like the Ciaz, and I don't see them filling out these gaps anytime soon.

Maruti surely has a strong future lineup, that is stronger than Tata's lineup. One area where I would like to see Maruti improve though, is in driver-focused cars. Fronx is a great handling car with a turbo engine, but that honestly isn't enough. Hoping for the Fronx to get a higher state of tune in the future, and also hoping that the K14 Boosterjet makes its India debut sometime soon.

[Noctis]

While the strongest lineup is debatable (I would put Tata/Hyundai there), surely the weakest one at the moment has to be Nissan.

I mean Nissan's portfolio right now is literally just Magnite! Every now and then they keep showing new models they plan to introduce to India, but at this point it feels more like a marketing ploy than a serious effort.

Honda has at least found a profitable niche here, although it's disappointing how little of the global portfolio we are getting.

[Abhisheknott]

Hyundai has the best spread from i10 to the Tuscon with a couple of electrics.
I would consider models only and not power trains.
Tata is a close second and obviously beats Hyundai if JLR is included.

[kraken]

For someone with a strong (could be seen as unhealthy) affinity for turbo diesels, I would say it's Mahindra. Man look at their lineup. Thar, XUV3XO and the ever popular rural market focussed Bolero and Bolero Neo, (old TUV models). They've hit the sweet spot with XUV700 and the new Scorpio N range and selling the classic Scorpio alongside is just genius. But the entry point to the brand is still high and that's where TATA scores. I would say it's great to see our homegrown brands stirring up the competition.

Weakest for me would be Jeep. I loved the Meridien and didn't mind the price but the fear of them shutting shop is what is keeping me away. No new launches or significant model upgrades is also cause of worry for many who want to buy one !

[CentreOfGravity]

My definition of a strong product lineup = presence of a car in every relevant segment + products which are among the best in class / have strong USPs + constant updates and facelifts to keep the portfolio fresh. Going by this definition, Tata, Hyundai, Maruti, Toyota, Kia and Mahindra (in that order) have the best portfolio and Nissan, Renault and Honda (in that order) have the worst lineup.


Best Portfolios:

– Tata have truly given Hyundai sleepless nights and will continue to do so thanks to upcoming models like the Nexon CNG, Altroz Racer, Altroz EV(?), Harrier EV, Harrier + Safari Petrol, Curvv and Sierra in the pipeline. All reasons for their growth are documented in the first post, so I'd not like to be redundant by mentioning them again.

– Hyundai have a very relevant lineup in India with a car operating in almost every segment. Premium offerings like the Tucson and Ioniq 5 also help in building brand image. No complains here.

– Maruti had been sleeping for two years post the S-Presso launch in 2019. Until then, all their products were mediocre at best and there was nothing really exciting. Suddenly, they sprung into action from 2021 with the all-new Celerio, and they have been on a product onslaught ever since. Today, their portfolio looks far, far better with the likes of the Brezza, Grand Vitara, Jimny, Fronx, Invicto and upcoming Swift + Dzire on offer. They have truly built their castle in the 10-20 lakh segment and are probably swimming in money!

– Considering their age, what Kia have done is commendable. While their lineup isn't particularly huge, I consider their cars to be among the best in their respective segments. They also give timely updates to their cars. Get this – 5-year-old Kia have a larger portfolio than 25-year-old Honda!

– Mahindra have a fairly decent portfolio, but what I love is the sheer variety they offer. They sell the ancient Bolero + Neo & Scorpio Classic, ailing Marazzo and confused XUV400 on one end, and the uber cool XUV700, rugged yet modern ScorpioN, sexy Thar and the Korean-Born-Confused-Desi, the XUV3XO on the other. Diversity at its best! I'd like a bit more uniformity in their lineup though.


Worst Portfolios:

– Nissan & Renault have been riding on the Magnite and Kiger's success for four years now. IMO they should have acted as soon as the Magnite / Kiger sales picked up. The fact that the Magnite is a one-car army doesn't seem to bother the lazy bums at Nissan.

– Honda is on ventilator support aka Elevate. They don't even have a proper roadmap apart from saying that the Elevate EV will be launched (an eternity) later. Apart from the new Amaze, I don't see any new launch anytime soon. On a lighter note, they think they needn't launch any new products because the old ones are so reliable that they will outlive the owner. Revolutionary thinking indeed.


Toyota has a wide range of products, 11 to be precise. I'm happy that they are concentrating on the luxury segment unlike other manufacturers, but I don't think they have the best portfolio. Reason = close to 40% of their products are rebadged Marutis.

Apart from these, VW, Skoda and Jeep have small portfolios, but their products are solid. They ought to be more serious about India though. MG is doing a great job too and I'm looking forward to seeing their portfolio expand. As of now, Citroën has a pathetic lineup, but I think it's too early to judge. I'll give them more time before I conclusively write them off.

[Carma2017]

I personally think Hyundai has one of the best balanced vehicle line up in India that is focussed on selling models in segments where profits are large and customer demand too is good. With great patience, HYUNDAI has leveraged it's global lineup and technologies effectively to create a premium-economy type image in India. They exited non competitive segments of Santro/Eon and cut their losses early.

I think all makers except the top four have a poor lineup in India and need to clear their focus as to what they want to achieve in India.

[saikishor]

It is easy to conclude that Jeep, Nissan, Renault and Citroen have weak product lineups. The one that needs a little explanation is Honda.

Honda's product line up is relevant, but weak. The Amaze is old now(thank god that the new gen is in the works apparently), the City is underperforming these days and the Elevate, though selling well, is just not enough IMO.
Honda's product planning is weak IMO. They refused to give the hybrid powertrain to the Elevate which is ridiculous, just because it would increase costs. When customers are ready to pay, I don't find this justification by Honda to make much sense. The City Hybrid sells in low numbers due to it being a sedan, and a little bit of it being high priced. That is not the case with the Elevate if you ask me. Customers will be ready to pay any amount of money for an SUV(hate to call it an SUV). This is just poor product planning and arrogance. Look at Honda in the 2000-2010, and look at them now.

[volkman10]

Stellantis has the weakest line-up and hence shows up in its sales figures.

[Joe367]

Tata motors for me. Petrol, Diesel, well designed CNG models and affordable EV's - TATA has it all. The only segments i find them lacking is hybrid vehicles and proper off-road capable passenger vehicles.

[Sensible_Speed]

My vote goes to Hyundai. They have pretty much covered the entire mass-market segment ranging from hatchbacks all the way to 30 lakh+ SUVs.

Grand i10 Nios and Aura are very good choices for those shopping in the entry-level hatchback segment. These are easy cars to drive and very light on the pocket in terms of fuel and maintenance costs. They also offer a more premium experience than the Maruti twins. But the new Swift may change all that soon. The other car in the platform, the Exter is the outlier with a very poor ride and the disadvantage of having to compete with the runaway success of the Tata Punch.

Stepping up a segment, the Hyundai Venue continues to be a popular choice for the sub 4m SUV segment. The retention of a diesel only adds to its strength. Despite going up against intense competition from the likes of the Nexon, the newly launched Mahindra 3X0, the overpriced, but largely successful Maruti Brezza, the more premium sister car from Kia, and even the lower priced offerings from Renault-Nissan, Hyundai moves decent numbers of the Venue every month.

Stepping up to the meat of Hyundai's profits is the highly contested "Creta segment". I have started calling it that because this car still defines this segment to this day. 'nuff said.

Sedan lovers get the Verna as an option, that Hyundai priced well and specced even better. It manages to hold its own against the Slavia-Virtus duo that lead this dying segment and trounces the Honda City that once defined it. How the mighty have fallen!

Moving into the stratospheric regions of Hyundai's line-up are the Alcazar, a car that perhaps hasn't seen as much popularity as typically Hyundais do. But above it sits the Tucson, the only Hyundai premium SUV offering with a 2.0 diesel and AWD. It is unfortunately lost in the midst of the highly popular Tata Safari and Mahindra XUV700, but Hyundai still peddles a few to go up against the likes of the Tiguan and maybe the Compass and Meridian.

Capping off Hyundai's lineup is their flagship EV offering, the Ioniq 5. This car is deserving of all its superlatives. Even with everything overlooked, the sheer value Hyundai manages to offer with this model by assembling it in India is tough to beat.

If you haven't caught on yet, my basis for voting Hyundai is sales and profitability with a pinch of value offered.

[ssoni.1411]

My vote goes to Hyundai. The way they have read and understood the Indian market is really commendable. Their products have been really good in terms of quality, refinement, fit and finish and features. This, coupled with them having multiple engine and gearbox options, gives buyers a car in every segment and price range. Hyundai has always launched their cars with every combination possible so that buyers need not go somewhere else. Going forward, all they need to get is a hybrid engine in their mass market cars and a competitively priced EV. If they get the pricing right of the Creta EV, they will surely be #2 for a long time.

[Vikash Kumawat]

In my opinion Maruti has the best portfolio in Indian market, they have cars in every price bracket below 25 lakhs, they have entry level Alto, hatchback Swift and Wagonr, Premium hatch Baleno, Compact Sedan Dezire, Micro Suv Ignis, Raised premium hatch Fronx, Sub 4 meter suv Brezza, Premium Sedan Ciaz, Lifestyle and off-roader Jimny, Compact suv G Vitara, Hybrid MUV Invicto ( and some extras - Mini Scorpio - S presso, Celerio ).

And Toyota and Honda both Japanese duos have the worst lineup for India, infact Honda may be the next car maker to goodbye india, If you talk about the Toyota - they are legends, Toyota have an ego and over confidence, they have only 3 ( Original ) products below 55 lakhs for the mass market - Crysta ( No AT ), Hycross ( Excessive waitings ), Fortuner ( hell like overhyped and Overpriced ). Toyota has the best line up in Global Market, They have good and robust vehicles everywhere from Japan to Mexico to Australia but not in India, why Toyota why, please bring RAV4, Sienna, Corolla, Corolla Hybrid, Highlander, Sequoia etc etc.

[shresan23]

I voted for Maruti after some deliberation.

Think about it. The world has moved on to turbo petrols and sporty cars. Maruti has no proper SUV, no proper Turbo Petrol or Diesel.

Yet, it is standing. It has some of the weakest entrants in the market that unsurpisingly eat up the competition even today.

Maruti is horribly placed in my opinion. Yet, they have market share. Enough and more, to scare the others from entering one segment that is still Maruti's fort.

When was the last time any of the others launched a proper small size family car?

They know they cannot keep up with the strength of Maruti.

These are my ten cents on the subject.