As 2018 ends on a lukewarm note for most manufacturers, looking forward to 2019 is but a given. The compact SUV segment, which a few years earlier was non-existent in India is a segment that has thrived, and proven to be fairground for all entrants.
While Ford EcoSport got the segment going, Maruti Brezza has dominated the segment. Tata Nexon now holds the distinction of being the only Indian car with a 5-star NCAP rating. Honda WR-V has been posting steady sales in the segment. The newest entrant will be the 2019 Mahindra XUV300 in February 2019. While Maruti Brezza rules the roost, Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon’s battle has been a superbly contested one.
Ford Ecosport sales for 2018 are reported at 51,973 units. For H1 2018, 30,753 units were reported sold. Sales however dipped in H2 of 2018 when 21,220 units were sold. In all the company sold 13 percent for Ford Ecosport units this year, up from 45,899 units sold in 2018. When comparing H1 and H2 sales for the year, company’s H1 sales improved, and H2 sales dipped marginally.
Tata Nexon sales for most of the year has only been comparable against the previous month considering sales began in September 2017. At the end of Q3 2018, Tata Nexon sales reported its first full year of sales. For 2018, 52,519 units of Tata Nexon are reported sold. That takes Nexon past Ecosport sales in 2018 by 546 units. A small margin, but a big victory nevertheless.
When compared with Ford Ecosport, its closest sales counterpart, Tata Nexon sales for both H1, and H2 were steady at 26,658 units for H1, and 25,861 units for H2 2018. Ford Ecosport sales were more than Nexon in H1 2018. The trend reversed in H2 2018.
Speaking about Maruti Brezza, for the year 2018 stood about three times that of the Tata Nexon. Maruti Brezza sales in 2018 stood at 1.55 lakhs, much higher than the combined total sales of Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport.
