The entry-level hatchback segment might have shrunken in size in the last few years, however, demand for the few cars left in the segment continues to rise
The ever-growing demand of high-riding vehicles has resulted in manufacturers shifting their focus towards SUVs and crossovers, globally. However, the Indian market is still very price sensitive, and even if SUVs constitute for huge number of car sales in the country today, it’s a well-known fact that hatchbacks continue to dominate the market.
Furthermore, demand for entry-level hatchbacks has increased by a massive 83 per cent in August 2020, as compared to the same month last year. A total of 23,887 entry-level hatchbacks were dispatched last month, as against the 13,065 units sold in the month of August 2019.
The Maruti Suzuki Alto retained its position as the best-selling entry-level hatchback in the country, with a total sale of 14,397 units in August 2020. This number also helped the Alto become the second highest-selling car last month in the entire country. Maruti Suzuki had sold 10,123 units of the hatch in August 2019, which means that the car recorded a 42 per cent YoY growth in terms of sales.
The second spot was also secured by a Maruti Suzuki car, i.e. the S-Presso. The S-Presso was launched in the second half of last year, and went on to gain popularity very quickly. The “micro-SUV” has been performing steadily, and Maruti Suzuki shipped 5,312 units of the S-Presso in the month of August 2020.
The third position was taken up by the Renault Kwid, which was facelifted last year. The car is currently offered with a 0.8-litre as well as a 1.0-litre NA petrol engines, and can be had with either a 5-speed MT or an optional Easy-R AMT. 3,677 units of the Kwid were sold in the country in August 2020, while only 2,191 Kwids were sold in August last year. This means that the car recorded a YoY growth of 68 per cent.
The Datsun Redi-GO received a mid-life refresh and BS6-compliance a few months ago, but it looks like the facelift hasn’t helped the car at all. The Redi-GO is the only car in the segment that recorded a degrowth in sales. Datsun sold 501 units of the entry-level tallboy hatch last month, as against the 751 units sold in August 2019. This resulted in a 33 per cent decline in year-on-year sales.