The year 2019 is slowly but gradually nearing towards its end. Though there are still around 2.5 months before it ends, a lot of things regarding the state of the auto industry of the country in 2019 are clear by now. Like every year, this year also saw a lot of new cars being launched and older ones being updated. A lot of cars have succeeded in pulling buyers to their dealerships but several cars didn’t make the cut. Today in this list, we take a look at 10 such cars that are relatively well-known but still sold less than 500 units per month on an average this year. (To be clear, the ‘sales numbers’ we get in India are not actual sales but dealer dispatches – but sales would normally match those numbers over a long period of time.)
Mahindra KUV100
Mahindra’s entry-level passenger car KUV100 is available in both petrol and diesel engine options. Designed like a micro SUV, the KUV100 has a lot of road presence and is unlike any other car in its segment. However, this micro-SUV couldn’t do much in terms of sales this year. While the sub-4 meter SUV segment attracts buyers like bees to flowers but the KUV100 struggles to even get ahead of the 500 figure. Next year will see Tata launching the Hornbill micro-SUV and probably then this segment will see some real fight.
Why’s the KUV100 struggling?
Its design is not to everyone’s liking, and there are many compact SUVs that look a lot more proportional while being just a lakh more pricier. Also, buyers are yet to warm up to micro SUVs.
Toyota Yaris
Since the time it was launched in India, the Yaris failed to touch the success Toyota was expecting it to be. This one is a classic example of the uncertainty factor of the Indian auto market due to which a lot of good cars have faced the heat. To let you know, the Yaris is the safest car in its segment with the most advanced safety features. It also has the trustworthy Toyota badge on it but despite all that, the car has repeatedly failed to bring customers to dealerships. Now is a good time to buy one though as Toyota is offering more than Rs. 2 lakhs worth of benefits with the Yaris.
What makes the Yaris a slow seller?
Established competition from Honda (City), Maruti (Ciaz) and Hyundai (Verna) is one big reason that the Yaris is not really able to get going in India. Then, there’s the price tag, which makes it more pricier than cars such as the Ciaz and Verna.
Nissan Kicks
Nissan launched the Kicks in India with a lot of expectations. The company had a decent plan, a good car and Nissan itself is a well-known brand in India now. However, the Kicks has failed to kick in even in the first month of its launch, which happened earlier this year. It even comes with comes with a few features that are best-in-segment. For instance, the Birds Eye camera that the SUV is equipped with is something that no other compact SUV offers in India. Other key features on the Kicks include ambient lighting.
What ails the Kicks?
Too little, too late. That’s been the story of the Kicks, a compact SUV that Nissan should have launched instead of the Terrano, five years ago.
Honda BR-V
The Honda BR-V is an SUV crossover that is positioned in a price range that pits it directly against rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta and the recently launched Kia Seltos among others. However, it does not quite hold up against its competition and that is one of the major reasons behind its lacklustre sales performance. Also, the lack of an auto box with the diesel variants is can be considered another factor here.
BR-V and its low sales…
Neither here nor there, the BR-V looks more like an MPV but it forced to compete with 5 seat best selling SUVs such as the Hyundai Creta, Maruti S-Cross, and now the Kia Seltos.
Skoda Octavia
The Skoda Octavia’s return to India was celebrated by a lot of many people but since the past few months, the sedan’s sales have been dipping low. In fact, the D-segment sedans have been showing low sales on a whole. The increasing popularity of SUV in this price range is also a factor involved in slow sales. Well built, feature packed and comfortable, and despite all this, the Octavia still finds itself in a tough spot.
What’s slowing the Octavia down?
Just like the Elantra, the Octavia is seeing a big slump in demand thanks to similarly priced SUVs cornering market share in a big way.
Hyundai Tucson
The Tucson is long due for an update and this is one of the reasons behind its poor performance. The Tucson has a nice exterior design, comfortable and feature-rich engine along with decent drivetrain options. In spite of all that though, it certainly does not hold up very well to its rivals and especially at the price it is positioned at.
What’s making the Tucson a slow seller?
- A price tag that should have been a few lakh lower.
- Steep increase in competition, whose sharp pricing makes the Hyundai SUV look unattractive.
Mahindra Alturas G4
Mahindra launched the Alturas G4 last year as its most advanced and expensive vehicle on our shores. The flagship model is basically a SsangYong Rexton G4 but Mahindra has made several changes to it so as to make it more friendly for the market. However, it is still a rare sight on the road despite being launched for nearly a year now.
What’s slowing it down?
With competitors like the Fortuner and the Endeavour, the Alturas G4 is finding the going really uphill. What’s not helping is the fact that the Mahindra brand is a hard sell in the 30 lakh rupee SUV segment.
Skoda Kodiaq
Well, the Skoda Kodiaq wasn’t supposed to do big numbers but rather build up a great pedigree for the upcoming Skoda SUVs. The Kodiaq certainly has succeeded to do that as in its segment, it comes across as an SUV that oozes luxury and opulence. It also looks quite good and has a great road presence. Its segment is populated by the likes of the Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner, both of which are some of the biggest names in the Indian SUV market.
But is it a slow seller?
not really. Skoda would be quite happy with the numbers that the Kodiaq is currently doing. in fact, it’s doing better than the Superb and Octavia for the brand, especially when the sheer margins are taken into account.
Also Read: India's 5 best selling SUVs in September 2019: Maruti Brezza to Mahindra Scorpio