This month again, it is the Toyota Corolla and Camry which are leading in their respective segments with volumes similar to previous months.
When a buyer sets out to buy a D-segment sedan, Toyota cars automatically feature on their list. This is mainly because of the reliability those cars offer albeit at the cost of driving dynamics and features in the case of the Corolla. However, the rivals from Europe are also fast catching up and improving their servicing aspect which is resulting in an increase in sales. The worst hit by this onslaught is the Korean sedan on the list and the French hasn’t been spared either. Another challenge is the constant rise in features and space being offered by C2-segment cars which makes D1-segment offerings look overpriced.
Taking a look at the D1-segment, there has been some movement this month. While the Toyota Corolla retains its pole position by a considerable margin, the Skoda Octavia has been able to surprise with a sudden 40% spike in sales. The Volkswagen Jetta also lost some volumes which is expected since the car lacks certain features which the Octavia comes with. Worst hit is the Hyundai Elantra which now lags behind its European rivals despite a facelift. The Chevrolet Cruze and Renault Fluence are just occupying space in the showrooms but the new models aren’t too far away now which might make things interesting.
Coming to the D2-segment, it is the Toyota Camry which has once again emerged as the leader mainly due to the recent feature addition it got which makes it a much better deal than before. The only other option available in the segment is the Skoda Superb which saw a sales drop of around 30%. With the new Superb expected to be launched in India by the first quarter of 2016, sales of this very capable sedan are likely to fall as limited number of kits would be remaining and not many would want to buy a car which would be outdated within a few months. The new Superb will make things very interesting and it remains to be seen how Skoda prices it.
