Earlier we had mentioned that Indian consumers seem to be leaning towards bigger cars, and it seems we were quite right, because as of this month the market share for hatch-backs, for the first time ever in the history of Indian automobiles, has lowered below 50 percent. This might come as a surprise to most of you but it is important to consider that there are more factors besides India’s economic success and the peoples spending power which has caused their decline. There are many other things such as the new obsession with choosing diesel engine over petrol engines, rising interest rates on car loans, but most noticeably the buying habits of customers are changing. It seems that the Indian consumer is now much more knowledgeable about the products they want, and so it is essentially features and luxury, and most importantly, quality, that will be huge deciding factors when it comes to buying new cars. And whats even better is that now Indian customers are spoiled for choice. The market has definitely come a long way and now we have almost every major car manufacturer stepping in. This could very well be the demise of the hatch-back legacy in India.
Too early to write off the hatchbacks….most hatches are bought by first time buyers and in a slow growing market there are not many first timers.