There is no stopping the Maruti Baleno as it enjoys a crushing lead over its rivals
Not very long ago, Year-on-Year and Month-on-Month sales performances of almost all vehicles in India were in the red and we all know why. However, things are gradually getting better and the most important segments in the passenger car space are registering positive growth, on both YoY and MoM bases.
Premium hatchback sales in September 2020
The Maruti Baleno continues to have a crushing lead over its rivals despite being offered with only one fuel type – petrol. 19,433 units at a YoY of 70% and MoM of 80% prove that Maruti has managed to convince most of its prospective diesel customers to opt for its petrol model rather than shop elsewhere or a diesel hatch.
The Hyundai i20 finished at a very distant second with a tally of 9,852 units at a YoY decline of 2.84% and MoM growth of 26.88%. Though the sales volume is less than half of what Baleno managed, it is not bad at all for a model which is driving into the sunset in a matter of weeks. Hyundai is offering benefits of up to INR 75,000 on the current i20 for the month of October in a bid to empty out the inventory.
The Tata Altroz managed to garner good attention, thanks to its 5-star Global NCAP crash test rating, but that did not fully translate into sales volume. The stylish premium hatchback had to be content with third place in September 2020 with 5,952 units on the board. With all-new i20 scheduled to be launched in November, we don’t see the Tata hatchback, appealing as it is, go anywhere above its third spot.
Rest of the players
After the top three, other products in this segment more of less exist for the sake of it. Maruti Baleno’s rebadged sibling, the Toyota Glanza saw its monthly volumes dip by 7.25% YoY at 2,572 units but that is over 80% more than what it managed in August 2020. The VW Polo’s engine update didn’t seem to have done a world of good as the aging hatchback clocked only 1,585 units, a 3.53% drop compared to September 2019.
Interestingly, the Ford Freestyle managed to garner a YoY growth of 80% at 761 units. The new variant introduction seems to have worked out for the hatchback. The spacious Honda Jazz found itself at the bottom of the table with 748 units sold in September 2020 as against 649 units during the same month last year.
Overall, the premium hatchback segment clocked a total sales of 40,903 units, registered a around 50% YoY and MoM growth. This right here is a definite sign of recovery. Also Read – Bestselling Sedans in Sep 2020.
