Compact SUV segment has taken the Indian auto market by surprise. As a matter of fact, it would not be wrong to state that the compact utility vehicles have taken the market by storm. Compact SUVs are being preferred over hatchbacks and sedans by price sensitive domestic customers. The main attractions behind such an act can be contributed to road-performance, fuel efficiency, comfort and authoritative stance. The on-road performance pretty much covers a number of aspects of utility vehicles. Plenty of features to play with while driving along with more power and torque prove to be decisive for buyers' attraction towards utility vehicles.
As mentioned before, the demand for feature-rich utility vehicles is unusually high as compared to previous year. Many auto company have already seen the cheerful wipe of this demand. In fact, there are many auto companies who have had a gala time with their utility vehicles. Seeing this, players like Maruti Suzuki have also shifted their focus on the development of their utility vehicles. Maruti Suzuki is planning to introduce XA Alpha concept vehicle to mark a new space in the discussed segment.
With respect to compact utility vehicles, most bright examples are Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster. Ford EcoSport has proved to be a sensation among customers and car enthusiasts. In fact, this compact utility vehicle has given a new direction and name to Ford India that earlier existed in the market without much buzz associated to it. The vehicle comes with a number of features to enhance driving experience in city and on highways. Vinay Piparsania, Executive Director (Marketing), Ford Motors India, reportedly said, “We had anticipated good numbers. But we were surprised by the speed with which the [booking] orders came in.”
EcoSport has brought much needed name and fame to Ford India. Notably, Ford entered the Indian auto market back in 1996 and struggle to get a stronghold in the market. The journey before the launch of EcoSport was lacking a sting. However, things changed and fortunes returned with the introduction of EcoSport in the market. According to statistics, the compact SUV has a contribution of over 55 per cent in Ford's total sales in India, which is unusual and phenomenal too. Another noticeable buzz in the compact SUV segment came with the introduction of Renault Duster. The French auto maker did not have glittering run in the country until the launch of its compact SUV Renault Duster in July 2012. This compact SUV enjoyed a tremendous start in the passenger car market. As a result, the monthly overall sales of the auto company increased.
Having just seen the buzz around compact utility vehicles, it will be quite interesting to find about sales of EcoSport and Duster to conclude something sharp. Ford EcoSport recorded booking of over 30,000 in just 17 days, which is quite impressive. Due to this high demand and low supply, a waiting time of up to nine months was cropped up. Dealers have stopped accepting bookings, which is expected to resume around April 2014. Meanwhile, the buzz around Duster has declined a bit. In fact, the sales of Duster moderated from 6,313 units in March 2013 to 4,657 units in October 2013. There is not waiting time as this utility vehicle is readily available with the company's dealers.
So, is there anything that is being planned by Renault in order to enhance the slowdown for its compact SUV Duster. Yes indeed, there is one. The auto company is planning to introduce a refurbished Renault Duster in the Indian automobile market to get the story going without hiccups. Many industry expert feel that the introduction of new Duster variant is a forced move due to increased competition in the market instead of a deliberate move. New rivalry has cropped up in the market and such steps appear to be mandatory. The facelift version of Renault is expected to be launched in India in early 2014. Renault has all reasons to hope for a tremendous response this time too.
