Mahindra has stopped the production of Verito Vibe, the only hatchback in their product portfolio due to poor demand.
India’s biggest utility vehicle maker, Mahindra launched their first hatchback Verito Vibe in 2013. This was a sub 4-metre arrangement back then for the Indian market to get tax benefits. The Vibe was based on the Verito sedan and unfortunately couldn’t get number for Mahindra since the day of its launch.
The hatchback segment contributes to around 50 percent of sales in India and at the same time it is a big challenge for carmakers to get the product right and generate volumes from this segment. The Mahindra Verito Vibe with its basic looks and design along with limited list of features failed to woo the Indian buyers.
Mahindra managed to sell only 619 units of the Verito Vibe in 2015, which is very less even if you compare it to some luxury cars. The Indian carmaker has stopped the production of the hatchback since the beginning of this financial year. Even after the production halted, the carmaker sold only 32 units of the hatchback in five months of time.
However, the officials say they have neither discontinued the Verito Vibe nor they have any plans to do so. The hatchback used the Renault sourced 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine and there is no petrol engine option offered since the time of its launch. The Verito sedan though, is doing decent numbers as there is some demand from the taxi segment.
Mahindra Verito Vibe Production
– Mahindra stopped the production of Verito Vibe hatchback
– Only 619 units of Vibe sold last year
– Poor demand due to high pricing, basic styling and limited features
– Verito sedan doing well in the market thanks to the demand from taxi segment
Source – Business-Standard.com