As the sales figures for the Indian automobile industry are out, we take a glance through the situation in the premium hatchback segment for the month of March. This segment has seen marginal growth in sales on an MoM basis despite the tough competition from some products from the compact SUV segment. Premium hatchbacks have been holding their ground with conviction and refuse to give in to challenge from the compact SUVs. As another successful month has gone by, the overall growth of the Indian automobile industry continues. Let us take a look at the individual products from the segment.
Also read: Car Sales Report for March 2021 – Brief Overview!
Maruti Suzuki Baleno – 21,217 Units
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has been the second-highest selling car in the country overall, behind its younger sibling, the Swift. Baleno continues to garner interest from the customers keeping it miles ahead of the competition. In March, Maruti Suzuki managed to sell a whopping 21,217 units of the Baleno compared to a little over 20,000 units in February marking a marginal growth MoM. It looks almost impossible to defeat Baleno at the moment.
Also read: Compact SUV segment sales report for March – Brezza, Venue, Sonet and more!
Hyundai i20 – 9,045 Units
Hyundai has also seen great success with its premium hatchback ever since the launch of this current-gen i20 even though it is priced way above the other products in the segment. The sales of i20 for the month of March were 9,045 units in comparison to almost 9,000 units in February. This indicates a steady growth pattern for the popular premium hatchback in our market. Hyundai has really given a premium feel to the i20 with all the latest tech and features and that continues the reason why customers are willing to pay a premium to own an i20.
Tata Altroz – 7,550 Units
The relatively newer product in the segment has hit the ground running and is directly challenging the Hyundai i20 for the second spot. Tata has made sure to equip the Altroz with multiple engine options, a 5-star safety rating and all the modern connected technology. In March this year, Tata managed to sell 7,550 units of its premium hatchback compared to February, where it sold a little over 6,800 units. This marks a significant 11% growth in sales in one month.
Also read: Executive sedan segment sales report for March – City, Verna, Ciaz and more!
Toyota Glanza – 2,989 Units
The badge-engineered Baleno, Toyota Glanza has also brought in a ton of sales for the Japanese carmaker after their joint venture in India. Identical to the Baleno in every aspect, Toyota sold just under 3,000 units of the Glanza to its customers in March compared to just over 2,743 units in February. This too is a significant 9% growth in sales month-on-month.
Also read: Mid-size SUV segment sales in March – Creta, Seltos, Harrier, Hector and more!
Volkswagen Polo – 1,888 Units
VW Polo has seen a lot of ups and downs in our market for a very long time now. The story continues even now and is expected to change only after the arrival of the next-gen Polo, which is rumoured to arrive in India in 2021. Until then, however, the Polo lags behind the competition a fair bit. In March, VW managed to sell 1,888 units in India compared to just over 1,900 units in February marking a slight decline in sales MoM.
Also read: Tata Motors in track to 10% market share – All products sell over 2,000 units!
Honda Jazz – 707 Units
Another product that has not seen real success in this segment is the Honda Jazz. It never saw the kind of sales that Honda would’ve liked. In March 2021, Honda managed to sell a mere 707 units of its premium hatchback in the country compared to 856 in the month prior to that. This is a decline of over 17% but the numbers are very low irrespective. One of the possible reasons behind this is the semiconductor shortage going on in the industry at the moment.
Ford Freestyle – 689 Units
Ford Freestyle is also a decent alternative for people who are looking to buy something relatively unique in this segment. Freestyle lends a bit of adventure to the premium hatchback with sporty features and a bit tough built. In March, Ford saw mere 689 units of Freestyle being sold compared to 1,285 units in February marking a significant decline in sales.
Also read: Renault grows 12% in March (MoM) – Kiger, Triber, Kwid the reasons!
