Some of the least selling cars in the country are over-priced SUVs, expensive D-segment sedans and certain MPVs.
It was dooms day for the D-segment when German majors like Audi, Mercedes, BMW, etc. started launching their entry-level offerings in the Indian market. With the Germans being priced so close to the expensive products in the D-segment, it wasn’t too surprising to see that segment die out a slow death. The lower D-segment has the Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze with the Jetta and Cruze selling in really low numbers.
While the Cruze doesn’t feel as appealing as its rivals, the Jetta used to fetch good numbers until just a couple of months back post which the Volkswagen scandal broke and its sales fell. The Toyota Camry on the other hand is doing pretty good for a CKD sedan costing Rs. 35 lakhs! We also have the Renault Scala which isn’t really moving off the showroom floors unlike other C-segment sedans. Chevrolet recently launched the TrailBlazer which is a good car but unfortunately it seems that it will also have the same fate as its stable mates.
The Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CR-V and Isuzu MU-7 are dud SUVs all for different reasons. The Santa Fe failed because it is a bit expensive and in the same price bracket is the Toyota Fortuner which is ruling the sales chart since its arrival in 2009. The CR-V became a dud mainly due to the absence of a diesel engine. The MU-7 is priced very optimistically for what it offers and hence there is not much to say about it. The SsangYong Rexton also had a poor fate due to the presence of better rivals out there.
The new Skoda Superb will be launched in India soon and hence sales of the current model have been falling. The Nissan Evalia couldn’t hit the right chord with buyers due to its van-like looks. The Tata Sumo Grande and Aria are very old products now and the Aria will soon be replaced by the Hexa. Renault seems to be having a bad time with its premium products because both the Koleos and Fluence aren’t selling well at all.
