#LookBack2014: Year 2014 in a Glance

Just few days are left and a new year will start then. We all spent these days recalling how wonderful the year was and in a great anticipation for the upcoming year. We at CarDekho are also recalling the major happening of year 2014 and did a whole series called #LookBack2014. This included all the ups and downs of the automobile industry and really provides you a chance to look back in the year 2014.

The year started with the launch of much anticipated all new Honda City with a diesel engine, which followed by a slew of launches. We witnessed new exciting cars every week, which uplifted the standards of the segment and expectations of the buyers. The rest of the vehicles were showcased at the biggest event of the industry- The Indian Auto Expo. This time the event was even larger and at a new location- The Expo Mart, Greater Noida. Following the Auto Expo, Indian Govt. also provided helping hands towards the industry by announcing excise duty cut across the segments. The move helped industry to ignite sales right to some extent. Even the excise duty cut then extended for the whole year and fuel prices also dropped. The growth in vehicle sales has been marginal in 2014. While November 2014 showed a positive 9.52 percent growth, SIAM also predicted an encouraging 2015.

The year also witnessed new designs, technologies and advanced engines. We have gone steps further then 2013 and looking for an even better 2015. Let's #LookBack2014 that what have we achieved and then we will present an all new series #CarsIn2015 with all the anticipated happenings of 2015.

#LookBack2014: Automobile Trends in 2014

“Last 5 years have been revolutionary for the Indian automobile industry, every year something new happened, which changes the direction of this ever changing industry”, a renowned automobile expert said this to me in a short interview. This is absolutely true that this industry follows some trend every year, which affects it in every mean. So, it’s time to look back that what were these trends in 2014. Read More

#LookBack2014: Major Car Launches This Year

As the year is about to end, we at CarDekho took a moment to look back at the all the major happenings of Indian and global auto sector. In a series of articles, we’ll try to bring the glimpse of major activities in the Indian auto sector. Starting with major new car launches, we’ll further cover the facelifts and performance vehicles launched this year. The year 2014 started with the word “most” attached to the cars launched in the early days. Audi launched its ‘most’ powerful saloon RS7 in country followed by Honda’s ‘most’ fuel efficient City and Mercedes ‘most’ expensive S Class, S500. Read More

#LookBack2014: Major Car Facelifts Launched in 2014

In 2014, Indian auto sector witnessed some of the major new car launches in the form of Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Next gen Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Tata Zest, all new Mahindra Scorpio and many more (Read the complete list here). Apart from these new launches, manufacturers also introduced facelifts or updated version of their existing models. Some of the important name includes Volkswagen’s Polo & Vento, Toyota’s Etios & Etios Liva, Ford’s Fiesta & Figo along with the most eagerly awaited facelifted Swift and others. The automakers in order to entice their customers also introduced limited and special variants of their best selling vehicles. Let’s dig deep to find out more on the facelifts launched in 2014. Read More

#LookBack2014: Top-5 Selling Hatchbacks in India

Selling hatchbacks in India for Maruti Suzuki (MSI) is like ‘I’m feeling at home’, while India’s second largest automaker is also in the race and thanks to Grand i10 and EON, Hyundai manages to acquire a spot in top-5 list. Top-10 list is also dominated by these two only, that too equally! Moreover, number speaks, Hyundai has not a single offering which is sold over a lac while Alto will cross 2.5-lac by the end of this year! This said, Maruti has access to the remotest parts of India with over 1400 dealerships, Hyundai on the other hand has just over 400 outlets but it still gives a fierce competition to Maruti! Read More

#LookBack2014: Top 5 Selling Sedans in India

Sedans in India have always been termed as a status symbol and the owners like to seat behind rather driving these cocoons of comfort. However, the sub-4 meter version of sedans have changed the game forever. Now the situation is different and the comfort factor has taken a back seat, while value for money quotient is the main driving force for the segment. The Swift Dzire was the first of its like, which hit the sweet spot, after it Amaze, Xcent and Zest are also gaining from the same formula. The 2014 also witnessed the return of the legend- The 2014 Honda City with fuel efficient 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine. Maruti Suzuki also introduced Ciaz as the SX4 replacement in the country. Read More

#LookBack2014: Top 5 Selling SUVs in India

When you hear the word SUV, immediately a picture of ruff and tuff vehicle with tall body structure comes to your mind. Earlier SUV or Sports Utility Vehicle with 4x4 functionality was used only on challenging and harsh conditions, but now the scenario is changed. People living in urban areas are now opting for the SUVs mainly because of their robust nature, offroading capability and mighty road presence. Read More

#LookBack2014 : Top-5 MPVs/MUVs in India

MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) or MUV (Multi Utility Vehicle) is basically a large vehicle, which can tackle wide range of applications. However in India, these vehicles are typically people’s mover, which can accommodate 7 or more passengers at a time. With time, these vehicles are also getting compact yet spacious, powerful yet fuel efficient making MPVs appropriate for both personal and commercial purposes. This results in the constant growth of the MPV/MUV segment in India. The segment holds around 18 per cent of the total market, which was around 14 percent last year. There are atleast 4 MPVs, which clock more than 5000 unit sales a month. The said figures prove that MPVs are growing in the country. Read More

#LookBack2014 : New Engines Introduced in 2014

The automobile world is becoming more volatile day by day as new cars are raining and updates become more frequent than ever. However, most of the action is limited to the designing and cosmetics and changes under the boot only happen once in a while. The reason behind this is the high cost of R&D in developing an engine. The same was the case with 2014, the numbers of new engines were limited. Ford’s EcoBoost engine, which is a compact sized petrol charged engine have sparked the development of petrol turbo engines, therefore many of the engines introduced in 2014 were of the said type. Let’s have a look on engines introduced in 2014. Read More

#LookBack2014: Performance Cars Launched in 2014

Though Indian auto sector is more or less about the low budget fuel efficient cars, but this year manufacturers have presented to their customers some of the meanest and fastest performance vehicles. The year started with Audi RS7 launch and Bollywood actor Salman Khan to be its first customer. Other notable performance cars launched in 2014 were Lamborghini Huracan, BMW M3, M4, M5 and Mercedes Benz CLA45 AMG. Here is the synopsis of each. Read More

#LookBack2014: Best Car Designs of the Year

The year started with the launch of Honda City and then we had the biggest auto gala in the country - 2014 Indian Auto Expo, which ignited series of launches this year. We compiled few of the best looking four wheelers running across the country for you in our #LookBack2014 series! Read More

#LookBack2014: Top Management Shuffle This Year!

This year we saw several major shuffle in the top management of auto companies in India. It started with Ford’s Nigel Harris in January just before the major auto gala - 2014 Indian Auto Expo to the major shock of the year - Mayank Pareek moving to Tata from Maruti. In our #LookBack2014 series we bring Top Management Shuffle This Year! Read More

#LookBack2014: Discontinued Cars in India

The 2014 witnessed some of the legendary cars getting out of production. There are some really big names in this list, including the ‘Aam Janta Car’ Maruti 800 and the Hindustan Ambassador. The Maruti 800’s production stopped as it was BSIII compliant and company didn’t wanted to upgrade it further. On the other hand, the Hindustan Motors having trouble as the company didn't had enough funds to continue the production. Another nameplate, which died was the Maruti Zen, the original Zen was one of the most advanced car launched at that time and it was loved by everyone. This year Maruti stopped the production for Zen Estilo, which was the end of the legendary name plate. Let’s look back to these iconic cars, which won’t be available in showrooms anymore. Read More

#LookBack2014: 'Smart Cars'- Major In-car Entertainment Systems Introduced in 2014

A ‘Smart’ tag in this era is the biggest USP for any product on sale in any part of the world. We have smart TVs and host of other electronics and indeed ‘Smart Phones’ from where the term came into existence! 2014 was the year that made all the big techies - Apple, Google, Microsoft -- to dive into the world of automobiles and brought them more closer to your world than they were ever!  2015 will be the year when most of the new vehicles will be seamlessly integrated with the smart phones running three leading OS - Android, iOS and Windows! Read More

#LookBack2014: Major Highlights of Indian Auto Expo, 2014

In our #LookBack2014 series we are wrapping up the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, the mecca of automobile held in every two years. As the competition in India is getting fierce year on year, this Expo saw some major launches and revealings and indeed there were few global unveilings! Lets roll you through the major glimpses of the Expo. Read More