Swift Tops Segment Sales, Triber More Popular Than Fords In September 2019

The month-on-month figures for this segment recover with the addition of a new contender

• Swift still the most popular mid-size hatchback offering.

• Grand i10 and Nios combined are a comfortable second but still do not make the 10,000-mark.

• New Triber sold over 4,700 units as the third most popular offering.

• Ford Figo shipped less than a 1,000 units but saw a 5 per cent month-on-month growth.

• Freestyle sales dropped to less than 500 this month—34 per cent drop in MoM demand.

The mid-size hatchback segment in the Indian automotive scene has managed to witness some positive month-on-month results in terms of demand last month. This can be attributed primarily to the newest crossover offering, the Renault Triber, whose pricing and target market bring it into this segment. Meanwhile, the Swift continues to lead this segment by quite a margin despite the drop in year-on-year sales.

Let’s take a look at how each of the contenders in this segment performed in terms of demand in September 2019:

Takeaways

Ford Figo: The Figo hatchback saw its month-on-month numbers grow by over 5 per cent. It has also significantly increased its market share since the facelift as compared to where it stood in the segment last year.

Hyundai Grand i10 and Nios: Hyundai still has the pre-facelift Grand i10 listed on sale alongside the Nios and their sales numbers continued to be clubbed together. As a whole, the demand for the Hyundai mid-size hatchback has stayed the same—both in terms of month-on-month sales and year-on-year market share.

Maruti Suzuki Swift: Still dominating the hatchback segment, the Swift sold close to 13,000 units in September 2019—almost a 4 per cent month-on-month growth. However, the Swift does not occupy as much of this segment as it used to, as the year-on-year market share has dropped by over 16 per cent. Its numbers have dropped significantly during the automotive slowdown, indicated by the average sales of well over 14,000 units a month.

Renault Triber: The latest addition to the segment is one that doesn’t quite fit in. The Renault Triber is a sub-4m MPV crossover with seating for up to 7, unlike the 5-seater hatchbacks that it’s competing with. But its pricing brings it into contention with them and offers a ridiculous amount of luggage space if used as a 5-seater. It’s already close to 5,000 monthly units, making it the third most popular offering, far more popular than the Fords.

Ford Freestyle: The Freestyle remains the least popular offering in the segment and it was also the biggest loser in September. Its month-on-month sales dropped by over 34 per cent with less than 500 units shipped.