Though the automobile market in India is undeniably grappling with some arduous conditions, the fact remains that manufacturers with germane products are doing quite well for themselves. Case in point, the Hyundai Xcent and the Honda City. Same goes for other segments too. That said, I honestly believe there's still one segment whose potential is yet to be tapped i.e. the entry-level D segment. Also referred to as the D1 segment, this one fields cars from all over the world, including a Japanese, French, Korean, American, German, and Czech product each.
These are the ones with the ambition and will to weather the storm, and these are the ones that lead me to believe that there's some hope for the entry-level D segment in India. My hopes are not unsubstantiated, for the numbers really do talk. Take the Hyundai Elantra for example; industry reports state that 1,775 units of the Elantra were sold between May, 2014 and October, 2014. Next on the list is the Volkswagen Jetta, which received a facelift in January. The German bet in the D1 segment managed to sell 1,187 units in the last six months. The Czech threat to the Elantra and Jetta's sales came in the form of the Skoda Octavia that sold 1,048 units in the same duration. Chevrolet Cruze and Toyota Corolla Altis upheld the hopeful trend by selling 776 and 4,704 units, respectively, within the aforementioned duration. The only one to experience, how do I put this delicately, 'disappointing' sales was the Renault Fluence, which sold only 106 units.
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