It is seen that despite the launch of several models in the compact crossover segment, the compact sedan space in the Indian auto market continues to be backed by the brilliant demand. Reports suggest that Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire and Honda Amaze have gained a significant momentum in the market. It must be noted that the much awaited Ford EcoSport was introduced in the last week of June 2013 and received a tremendous response from both analysts and critics in the compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment. Its success can be judged with the fact that it received more than 30,000 bookings in just 17 days from its official launch.
However, auto analysts believe that the cut throat pricing and intelligent market positioning of this compact SUV has not dented the demand for identically priced compact sedans of the Indian market. Interestingly, the sales figures for Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire stood at 19,446 units in April 2013, which then went down to 17,262 in May 2013 and 12,548 units in June 2013. However, the demand for Swift DZire gained momentum in the month of July post witnessing a fall in May and June. On the other hand, the Honda Amaze reported its highest sales figure ever during the period. It must be noted that both the models accounted for more than 21,700 units, among which Swift DZire contributed for 15,249 units.
Indian auto experts are of a view that it will be quite interesting to see that how the compact SUV and compact sedan segment fairs against each other in the near future. Also, considering that the festival season is just around the corner, fight between the two is anticipated to get stiffer.
