Diesel car sales dip to merely 23% in 2017-18

Fewer diesel hatchbacks and sedans were sold in 2017-18 as compared to 2012-13, when almost half the number of cars sold in India were diesel powered. According to a media report, diesel car sales dipped to merely 23% in 2017-18. This trend is expected to continue as the government pushes for cleaner technologies including electric cars.

Latest figures indicate that the share of diesel cars in the overall sales of Honda Cars India dropped from 67% to 25%. In 2014, 60% of all Honda City sedans sold were diesel powered. In 2017-18, these amount to 20% of the Honda City's sales. It is a similar story with Maruti Suzuki India Limited. The share of diesel variants in the total sales of the Ciaz sedan have dropped from 60% to just 30%.

On the other hand, in the SUV segment, majority of the cars sold are diesel powered. That said, more than 30% of Hyundai Creta owners opted for the petrol version. One of the reasons for this could be the narrowing gap between the prices of diesel and petrol. Also, buyers are opting for petrol version for their low initial cost of ownership and lower maintenance costs compared to their diesel counterparts. 

Source: The Economic Times