Maruti Suzuki Wagon R was the most sold compact hatchback in the country ahead of Tata Tiago and Hyundai Grand i10
The entry-level and compact hatchback segments are certainly enduring a tough time as the dismal economic conditions prompted by the health crisis are not working in their favour. The same can be said for the entire auto sector but the overall sales share in the domestic market has seen SUVs having a slight edge over the hatchbacks and sedans.
The combined sales numbers of the SUVs/crossovers and MPVs stood at 52 per cent in May 2020 and the remaining 48 per cent was shared by hatchbacks and sedans. Last month, the Wagon R topped the sales charts with a total of 1,199 units against 14,561 units during the corresponding month in 2019 with 92 per cent volume drop.
It was the only hatch to register four digit sales. The Tiago ended up second with just 857 units as against 3,535 units with Year-on-Year decline of 76 per cent. The Grand i10 finished third with 718 units and it met with a sales de-growth of 91 per cent. The popular Swift hatchback found itself only in the fourth position with just under 600 unit sales.
| Model | May 2020 | May 2019 | Growth |
| 1. Maruti Wagon R | 1,199 | 14,561 | -92% |
| 2. Tata Tiago | 857 | 3,535 | -76% |
| 3. Hyundai i10 Grand | 718 | 8,102 | -91% |
| 4. Maruti Swift | 597 | 17,039 | -96% |
| 5. Maruti Celerio | 468 | 5,277 | -91% |
| 6. Maruti Ignis | 196 | 1,886 | -90% |
| 7. Hyundai Santro | 157 | 4,902 | -97% |
| 8. Datsun Go | 78 | 244 | -68% |
| 9. Ford Figo | 17 | 610 | -97% |
| 10. Nissan Micra | 0 | 95 |
The Celerio, which is expected to get a generation shift towards the end of this year or in early 2021, managed to record 468 units for the fifth position while the Ignis posted 196 units last month. The Santro nameplate returned to the Indian market in late 2018 and it has been decently received by the first-time new buyers but last month was a disaster.
As the carmakers resumed production operations and reopened dealerships only last month, the recorded sales numbers had come as a big shy of relief as zero units were sold in April 2020. The Santro posted 157 units and finished in the seventh position ahead of Datsun Go and Ford Figo with 78 and 17 units respectively.
The fortunes of the hatchback, as well as other segments, are expected to improve in the coming months as the industry has embarked on a recovery phase. Companies are offering easy EMIs, hassle-free financial years and discounts to lure in new customers ahead of the soon-arriving festive season.