Renault managed to top the list with its Fluence D-segment sedan that clocked the least sales in FY2014-15 and also had the badge engineered Scala and Pulse making an appearance.
While we have discussed the best selling cars for the 2014-15 financial year that included a host of Maruti offerings, the least selling cars list has no sign of them. Instead, it was Renault that seemed to take the cake here with three least sold products while Mahindra and Chevrolet too had two posting disappointing sales during the last financial year. Check out the top 10 worse selling cars for the year.
Observations –
1) Topping the list, Renault sold only 232 units of the Fluence sedan in India throughout the period of April 2014 to March 2015. Virtually gone unnoticed in the segment, the Fluence is gravely underpowered compared to the rivals and does not offer the same kind of value or striking appearance as the likes of Toyota Corolla Altis, Hyundai Elantra or Skoda Octavia that has been majorly the reason for its pure sales.
2) The French auto major had a tough time for selling not one, but three vehicles from its six car strong lineup as the Scala sedan and Pulse too were terrible performers ranking on the seventh and tenth spot respectively. Being badge engineered products shared with partner Nissan, the Scala managed to garner 1473 units while the Pulse clocked 2301 units during the previous fiscal.
3) One of the most capable cars in its class, the Ford Fiesta was the second least selling vehicle in the previous financial year with just 730 units sold. The low sales continued throughout the year, despite Ford updating the Fiesta with a facelift. A major reason for its plummeting sales has been the perceptional challenges faced by the automaker for the pre-facelift Fiesta having a high price tag. The popularity of the EcoSport in the same price range hasn’t helped matters either.
4) The popularity of the new Zest rubbed off on the Manza as Tata’s old offering was the third least selling vehicle in the last financial year. Based on the old Vista platform, the Manza garnered a paltry 1311 units, while sales dropped further once the Zest was launched during the festive season. The company will pull the plug off the Manza this year once the last stocks are cleared in the following months. The Manza though was Tata’s only product on the list despite the brand’s products not doing so well in the market.
5) While Mahindra has churned out some good products in the past, the badly received Verito and the highly confused Verito Vibe continue to post bad sales for the Indian auto giant. The Vibe made it on the fourth spot with just 1361 units sold while the Verito sedan (erstwhile Logan) was on the eighth spot.
6) Recall friendly General Motors had two products on the list with the Cruze sedan retailing only 1401 and was the fifth worst selling product while the Spark retailed 1431 units last fiscal coming on the sixth spot. One of the oldest products in the segment, the Cruze passed through two recalls last year and the absence of a petrol motor are seen as a reason for the saloon’s low sales. The Spark, on the other hand, has lost its sheen over a plethora of new products in the segment over the years.
7) Volkswagen had the very capable Jetta D-segment sedan as its only offering on the list that failed to impress buyers during the last fiscal. The Jetta procured the ninth spot and sold 2165 units. The German auto giant though has updated the product earlier this year that should make some marginal improvements in sales for this financial year.
