Cars In Demand: Maruti Suzuki Alto, Renault Kwid Top Segment Sales In December 2018

• The Maruti Suzuki Alto currently has 78.33 per cent of the market share in its segment.

• Renault Kwid, at a distant second position, also saw a slight increase in MoM demand, but its popularity has dropped compared to Dec 2017.

• Hyundai sold zero units of the Eon in December; future of the model might be uncertain.

The entry-level hatchback space saw a significant increase (26.42 per cent) in demand and sales over December after a decline the month before. The segment continues to be dominated by the Maruti Suzuki Alto which accounted for over 78 per cent of all entry-level hatchback sales in December. At the same time, it appears that the Hyundai Eon has no demand or perhaps no supply as not even a single unit was sold in December. However, there’s no official statement from Hyundai about discontinuing the Eon yet. As a result, the Alto is now only rivalled by the Renault Kwid and the Datsun redi-GO.

Here’s how each car in the entry-level hatchback segment performed on the sales chart in December:

Takeaways

• Resurgence of Alto: While the Maruti Alto’s dominance in its segment was never under threat from its rivals, it did see a significant decline in November sales. But in December, with 25,121 units sold, the Alto registered a month-on-month growth of 34.74 per cent.

• Kwid on the rebound: After the decline in demand and sales in November, the Kwid has seen a 7.62 per cent month-on-month growth in December. Renault sold 5,832 units of the Kwid, making it the second most popular car in its segment, albeit by a significant margin.

• Datsun’s slump continues: For a third month straight, the Datsun redi-GO has seen a decline in sales in December with just 1,114 units sold. That is a 14.43 per cent decline in month-on-month growth. The sales are lower than redi-GO’s average sales in the last 6 months.

• End of Eon? While Hyundai had announced that it will not be discontinuing its entry-level model in India, it didn’t sell a single unit of the Eon in December. There is no official statement from Hyundai regarding their future plans for the entry-level hatchback.

Overall, the segment has seen a month-on-month growth of 26.42 per cent, thanks mainly to the increase in demand and sales of the Maruti Suzuki Alto. Are you considering one of these vehicles as a first car? Or would you stretch the budget for a model from a segment above? Which of the current or upcoming models have you shortlisted? Let us and fellow readers know in the comments section below.

Source: cardekho.com